Starting Over
by Barrometz
Summary: Karter Blackmore was left alone after his brother was killed during a hunt. If he doesn't get back into the swing of it he'll never survive; luckily, he has the world's best hunters to help him get back on his feet.
1. one less Hunter in the world

*Uh... hi, Barrometz here. I don't own Supernatural, but that just goes without saying. I do, however, own Karter Blackmore, his family, and other miscellaneous minor characters of my own creation. Read and enjoy*

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**1: one less Hunter in the world**

_I guess that I should start with an introduction, so… hi. I'm Karter Blackmore, and today is New Years Day, 2007. Normally, I'd be celebrating; instead, I'm watching my brother's body burn away just outside of some snowy town in Wisconsin. Not what I'd call 'a fun way to spend the first holiday of the year', but it had to be done. It's tradition amongst hunters to salt and burn the deceased's body, and I've done it for most of my family by now. Sad, considering that I'm still only sixteen... _I took a step away from the fire, wiping a tear from my cheek as I sat down on a snowy stump._ We were hunting a werewolf out here, and Hunter (my brother, and yes, he was a hunter named Hunter) took a really bad hit to save me. Needless to say, he didn't make it…_

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I took it out and checked the ID: Bobby Singer. _Looks like he got my message already._ I put the phone to my ear, trying to stop shivering for long enough to talk.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah," he answered, "so… Hunter's really gone?" I took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky, silently cursing the full moon for what had happened not even half an hour ago.

"Uh-huh. All that's left are his stuff, some blood stains, and his car. And now I'm alone in the snow, I still can't stop crying, and worst of all, I lost the wolf. Can I kill myself yet?"

"Not yet, kid. Where exactly are you? I can see if I know anyone in the area for you to stay with."

"Uh…" I looked around, not seeing any signs to refresh my memory. "I think I'm near La Crosse, Wisconsin, but I'm not sure. And I'm not leaving until I kill that fucking wolf. It killed my brother, and I want it to pay for what it did."

"I get that much, just don't lose it." _There's no way I'd let that happen again._

"Not to worry, Bobby. Once I find I won't let it out of my sight until it's a pile of fresh ash."

"That ain't what I meant, Karter. Don't lose your nerve; blind rage don't do a lot of good in situations like this." _I'm sure it could probably help though... _"By the way, Sam and Dean Winchester are about fifteen minutes from you and they just finished their job. Maybe they'll lend you a hand with your hunt" _I haven't seen them in a while... _"I'll tell 'em to pick you up if you want."

"Thanks, Bobby. I could use the company, let alone the help. Tell them to meet me in the UWL parking lot. I'll be outside by Hunter's car." I hung up and put my phone away, looking back at the dwindling fire for several minutes before even blinking again. "Well, Hunter… it's over now," I whispered into the silence. "You and I were supposed to stick together… but it ended like I always knew it would. I'm alone." I got up and walked out to Hunter's car, which I guess was technically mine now, and turned the key, feeling nostalgic already.

* * *

In an attempt to get out of the car and wait outside after pulling up to the college, I tripped and fell onto the snowy asphalt. Blood marked the spot where my knee tore through my old jeans and scraped the ground. _Damnit, this was my last pair without holes!_ I leaned into the car and grabbed the only available rag which wasn't covered in blood, and applied it to my knee. _I really need to get more rags..._

"Hey kid, are you okay?" I turned around to see who asked the question, hoping for the Winchesters but instead finding some college-aged guy in a black hoodie._ Well, isn't this utterly disappointing?_

"No, but I'll be fine," I said coldly, not even bothering to look him in the eye.

"Well, I saw you fall out of your car, so I thought I'd come see what was up… nice car, by the way." _It's just an old Camaro..._

"Thanks." I sat down on the hood and looked at the road, watching the cars pass by. _Hopefully he'll take the hint and leave; I'm not in the mood for dealing with strangers right now._

"You think I could take it for a spin? I've got a thing for old Chevys." I laughed out loud at his request. _Why would he want this old thing? I'm sure he can find something better. And besides, even if I knew him, I'd never let him drive Hunter's car._

"Seriously? I don't even know you, and, quite frankly, I don't think you would know what to do with most of this." He glared at me, probably for challenging his intelligence.

"I work in a garage; you think I don't know how to run a car?"

"That depends." I got up and pointed to the mirror on the driver's-side door. "What's this?" I asked, making sure to pick something ridiculously obvious.

"A mirror," he replied irritatedly.

"And what does it do?" I asked in a mocking tone.

"It lets you see things behind you when driving, dumbass." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. _Ooh, a challenge. Bad decision on your part, dude._ "Now gimme the keys." _A challenge and a threat? Oh, now you're gonna regret that..._

"Actually, I've got a few more questions for you, Mr. garage-worker-person." I reached below the back seat and pulled out my shotgun, watching the color leave his face in a matter of seconds. "Can you tell me what this is?"

"A shotgun…"

"Very good. And do you know what you should do now?" He hesitated and looked down at his knife, then back at me. _It's_ _pathetic in comparison to a gun, isn't it?_

"I should go, shouldn't I?"

"That would probably be for the best, unless you want to see your blood on the snow too." He took off running. _Loser. Trying to steal my brother's car is worthy of castration, at the very least. You're just lucky you caught me depressed._ I put the gun back into the car, pausing when I heard another vehicle pull up behind me. _Busy parking lot tonight, isn't it?_

"Karter?" _It sounds like Sam and Dean finally made it. I was almost beginning to worry… almost._ I turned around, seeing Sam stand up out of Dean's Impala.

"Hey, Sam!" I hugged him, figuring that he wouldn't mind. _I really needed a hug._ "I almost forgot how tall you were." _There must almost be a foot of difference between us…_

"Or maybe you're just short," Dean said from behind Sam. _And Dean's as kind as ever, I see._

"Shut up, Dean. I'm only 16, after all." I took a step back from Sam and extended a hand out to Dean, who met it with a confused stare. "I would assume that hugs are probably too chick-flick for you." Dean frowned at my remark.

"Well, now I'll just feel left out," he replied. I rolled my eyes and hugged him too.

"Happy now, Dean?"

"I'd be happier if I knew what you were doing here in some random town in Wisconsin without Hunter." I let go of Dean and looked back in the direction that I had come from. "Where is he, anyway?" I fought back the tears that tried to make themselves known.

"It's not important; what we really need to focus on is–"

"Of course it's important, Karter!" Dean raised his voice to cut me off. "What could possibly have kept him from being here with you right now?" I looked away as a tear rolled down my cheek. Dean traded a soulful glance with Sam, and then spoke up again. "Hunter's dead, isn't he?"

"I guess Bobby didn't tell you why I needed your help…" I put my hands in my pockets and awkwardly looked down at the bloodstain in the snow. Dean put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"Dude, I had no idea… I'm sorry." _Please don't start this, Dean…_

"I'll be fine; I know how to deal with deaths in the family, trust me. I just… please don't make me talk about it yet. I won't be ready to talk for a while." Sam nodded in agreement as Dean walked back around the Impala to the driver's side and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"Well then, what are we wasting time standing in a parking lot for? We've got a werewolf to hunt." He got in the car and unlocked the other door. _Good, a distraction from the real problem… _Sam pulled his seat forward and I made my way to the back.

"Thanks again, guys. You have no idea how important this is to me…"

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*So, yeah... reviews anyone? I'd appreciate some advice if you have any.*


	2. Big Wolf On Campus

*Well, I got some positive feedback, which means that I should probably keep going... so here's chapter 2! Enjoy!*

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**2: Big Wolf on Campus**

"So, where are we headed?" Sam asked as Dean buckled in.

"We turn onto Vine Street, then 13th, then… I don't remember the rest of the streets…" _I guess I should have paid more attention to the street signs on the way here… whoops. _"I know the general direction, and I know I'll recognize the spot when I see it…"

"Are you sure? We don't need to waste all night looking for this thing."

"Believe me; I don't plan to waste any time in hunting this werewolf down. I'll find it, even if-" I stopped talking and looked out the window. _What was that noise?_ Sam looked at me concernedly, and I shrugged in response. "Sorry, I thought I heard something. Must've just imagined it."

"Not necessarily," Dean commented, "what did it sound like?" _It was too quiet to make out; I've really got no idea what it was. _

"Sorry, it was too quiet. I don't know for sure, but it was kinda like screeching tires. Maybe."

"Was it anything like screaming?" Sam asked. _It kinda was, now that I think of it… maybe if we wait, we'll hear it again?_

"Sam, Dean; open the windows. If it was a scream, we might hear another." They nodded, and rolled their windows down. As if on cue, I heard another noise. _It's definitely a scream, and this time I don't think I'm the only one who heard it. _Dean took his keys out of the ignition and headed for the trunk. Sam got out and pulled his seat forward again. _I guess the werewolf's here on campus._

"Sam, is it here?" I stood up out of the Impala just in time to hear another scream, followed by a loud growl. _Oh shit! It is here! _"Never mind, I got my answer." I grabbed the only key from my pocket and rushed across the small gap between our cars. I opened the door and grabbed the rifle Hunter had used earlier. _Already loaded with silver rounds; perfect!_ I looked back at Dean, who had a rifle of his own, and most likely also had a knife too. Sam grabbed a shotgun and slammed the trunk shut. I grinned and looked at the building. _Time to do this!_ I took off at a sprint at the university doors before stopping just a few feet away from where I had started. "Guys, aren't their security cameras?" Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, but if we do this right, we can pass the hunt off as prank footage." _College students staging a monster hunt to freak out their teachers; not really that hard to believe, is it?_

"I hope you're right." I took off again, Winchesters catching up and passing me very quickly, and I paused after they opened the door. _You'd think the staff would lock the doors at night… or maybe the werewolf broke the lock… _"Should we split up and find it? This looks like it's a pretty big campus, after all."

"We don't have to. Look," Dean answered, gesturing the barrel of his rifle to the end of the hall, where the werewolf had been sitting in the dark, chewing on a body. _Damnit, I'm too late again. And really, how did I not notice that as soon as we got in? _"When it charges, shoot it."

"How do you know it's gonna charge?" I questioned, though probably not wisely. _Dean's an expert; he must know what he's doing._

"Because I'm gonna make it." _That's his expert strategy? _"Hey, ugly! Come and get me; I'm irresistible!" The werewolf threw the carcass onto the floor and ran toward us, full speed ahead. "Okay, shoot it!" We all raised our guns and fired; at least one of us hit it. Fatal blows, from the look of it.

"Not quite as fun as the Pleasantville Werewolf, but satisfying nonetheless." Dean seemed oblivious to my comment, and Sam gave me a confused look. "What? Haven't you ever seen the show Big Wolf on Campus? It ended back in '02. Very popular back where I lived." Sam's expression didn't change. "I guess not. Oh well." I walked past the dead wolf and found the body. _Of course he'd be the one. _"I know this guy. He told me he was a mechanic at a local garage."

"A friend of yours?" Sam asked.

"Not really. He tried to steal Hunter's car just before you got here. I scared him away, and I guess he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time." I turned back and looked down at the werewolf. "I think I know how we can get rid of the bodies, guys. It's kinda perfect actually."

"Where did you have in mind?" Sam asked.

"You'll see. Just take the bodies to Hunter's car, I'll grab a janitor's cart and clean up the murder mess."

"I call the light one!" Dean said as he picked up the mechanic. Sam frowned, but knowing there was no winning in this situation, he sighed and grabbed the werewolf.

"Jerk," Sam muttered.

"Bitch," Dean replied. _They do that a lot, don't they? _I smiled to myself, then sank back into depression as I grabbed a mop from a janitor's cart and cleaned up the mess.

* * *

_Normally, I'd just burn the bodies where they were, but we couldn't really get away with doing that in a university building. Instead, I suggested that we take the werewolf back to the forest clearing in Hunter's car and blow it up. Who doesn't love a good explosion every now and then? Dean was against the idea, but it needed to be done._

"Why would you blow up your car when we could just as easily drive the body away and burn it somewhere else?" Dean asked, probably not understanding me due to his insane connection with his own car.

"Well," I started, "as much as I would have liked to keep Hunter's old Camaro for myself, he told me that if anything bad happened to him, I was supposed to make sure that no one else could drive it. Ever. And if I know Hunter as well as I think I do, which I'm sure I do, that includes me as well. He was crazy about it, like you and the Impala."

"But–"

"So, I'll do everything in my power to make it physically impossible to operate. And besides, an explosion would take care of our problem here, plus it would destroy anything that could link Hunter to any of the crime scenes we've been to if I leave his stuff in it." _And, I'll have less to remind me of what I've lost…_ "This really is for the best, you know."

"But you drove it earlier…"

"And if I hadn't, it may have been towed or stolen. The only thing he'd like less than me driving it is someone else driving it." I looked Dean in the eye with a determined look, and he sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Do whatever you want, just leave my baby outta this." _Typical Dean._

"Deal," I said as I got into the Camaro with the bodies and drove it back to the spot where I burned Hunter earlier. I parked and waited for Dean to park at a safe distance.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Sam asked. _I've put plenty of thought into this, and I'm positive. This is the best way._

"Yes, now let's get this over with. I already prepped it. Just toss a lit match and boom." _And we're at a distance that won't start a forest fire either._

"Go put your stuff in the car, Karter. We'll be right there."

"Okay. Thanks guys." I trudged my way through the snow and out to Dean's car, slightly flinching when I heard the explosion. _It's a good thing I took the guns out of there already... and Hunter, I'll miss you."_

Sam and Dean rushed back to the Impala, signaling me to hurry up and get in. _We'd better hurry up. That was way too loud to sound like fireworks, so someone must have noticed. _I crawled into the backseat again, and they got in soon after.

"So, where to?" I asked, having no idea where we were going next.

"Bobby's house," Sam replied. "You're gonna need someplace to stay for a while." _I guess that would be a "no" if I asked to tag along with them for a while… oh well; I missed Bobby anyway._

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*Thanks for reading! I'll have chapter 3 up ASAP!*


	3. A Place To Call Home

*Chapter 3 has arrived! Sorry if I can't get the next ones up that regularly. I've gotten a lot of work lately. Besides, who on this site posts promptly these days?*

*Also, if you have any suggestions on where to go from here, I'd be glad to listen.*

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**3: A Place To Call Home**

_Usually I just try to catch up on my sleep during road trips, but Bobby's house is less than four hours from the motel we stayed at last night, so I thought it best to use what little time I had to catch up with Sam and Dean. Long story short; some woman named Bella's screwing with the Winchesters big time. And Dean's deal is almost done... yikes..._

"You've gotta lay off all that wallowing in self-pity, Karter; they've got it way, way worse than you do…"

"D'you say something?" Sam asked concernedly. _Shit, he heard me!_

"Uh… I said we're almost there, right?" _A terrible cover-up, I know, but it should work. _

"Yeah, three minutes. Give or take a few."

"Thanks Sam. And by the way, what exactly are we gonna do if he says no?" Sam shifted in his seat so that he was looking back at me_._

"I'm sure he won't say no."

"...You guys did... why wouldn't he do the same? After all, he's a hunter "

"It's not that we don't want to... it's just..." Sam gave Dean his 'help me' look, and Dean pulled over.

"Karter," Dean started, "Bobby's work isn't as frequent as ours; it'd be good for you to stay with him for a while. He's your godfather anyway." _So? I haven't been with a legal guardian in over two years..._

"And just a few hours ago, you said that you wouldn't be comfortable hunting for a few weeks. We can't stop saving people just to wait for you to heal," Sam added. _I guess I can't argue with that logic..._

"Okay, fine. I'll stay with Bobby for now, but once I'm ready, can I at least tag along once or twice?"

"If you don't get yourself killed."

"You did," I mumbled, apparently loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't remind me..." _Whoops._

Dean started back onto the road, and we were pulling into Singer Auto Salvage in no time. After stepping out of the Impala, I stretched my legs and headed up to Bobby's door. _Jeez, I know this is an auto salvage yard, but does it have so be so cluttered? Come on Bobby, you could at least plant some grass or something... make it a little more homey. _Three knocks and a deep breath from me later, he was at the door.

"I didn't expect to see you here so soon boys," Bobby commented with a sigh before looking straight at me. "Hey Karter, how ya holding up?"

"Given the circumstances, I could be doing much worse. I'm not exactly thrilled with my situation, but still, I could be worse."

"And we came here quick because we needed to talk to you," Sam said. Dean traded an 'are you thinking what I'm thinking' glance with him, then looked at Bobby.

"Karter needs somewhere to stay for a while. We can't just drag him along with us on the road. Not with Bela out there; it's too dangerous."

"And normally, I'd say that I could handle myself," I cut in, "but after my epic fail last night, I don't like my odds hunting. Do you think… maybe… I could stay here until I find somewhere else to go?" Bobby sort of frowned, but it switched into a warm smile almost instantly. _Yes? Is that a yes?_

"Sure thing, Karter. Now come on in boys, I'm tired of standing in the doorway." I hugged Bobby and walked in. _Well, my immediate family may be gone, but my godfather still cares about me…_

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_Not wanting to burden Bobby for too long, I decided it best to try and arrange new housing plans fairly quickly. Not so easy when Aunt Pamela's out of the country for at least another month and the Harvelles' place is filled up with guests for the first time in… forever. Maybe I'll end up staying here for a while anyway. Bobby probably won't mind. Who knows; maybe he can help me get back into the swing of hunting again! I know Hunter would be disappointed if he found out that I quit now, after those supernatural freaks have killed so many innocent people…_

I walked out of the spare bedroom, looking for something to eat_. All this desperate searching for somewhere to stay despite already having somewhere suitable has really made me hungry… _Both the refrigerator and the pantry turned out to be empty, save for seven beers and a package of chicken stock._ Yep, a single man lives here. No doubt about it._ I heard my stomach growl as I…_ hold on, that wasn't my stomach… _apparently Dean had walked in as I was closing the pantry doors, looking over my head into the emptiness just before it was closed off from sight.

"No food?" He asked, sounding almost offended by the idea of not having lunch. I turned around, then took a step back after seeing how close Dean had been standing.

"Nope… wanna go get some?" Dean's eyes lit up. _I'll take that as a yes._

_"_There's this place back in town that makes the best pizzas I've ever had. You have to try some."

"Of course; I love pizza!" _I also love eating with him… he can just keep going and going without gaining a pound…_ _it's insane! _"You think we could stop for pie?"

"Would I ever pass up a chance to get pie?" _Point taken…_ "Come on, let's get Sam. Last time I picked up pizza from here he bitched for three hours because I "forgot" to buy his no-meat pizza." _Somehow, I don't think Dean really forgot about it._

"I'll get him, you start the car." He nodded and walked out of the room._ Now then, where's Sam?_ I walked out of the kitchen, into the living room, then the study, then over to the stairs that lead to the basement. "Sam?! You down there?!"

"He's outside," Bobby replied . _I didn't even see Bobby there when I walked in here…_ He stood up from the couch and pointed out the window to the Impala. Sam was standing on Dean's side, talking to him through the open window.

"Thanks! By the way, we're going out for-"

"Pizza."

"Yeah. What do you want on yours?"

"Nothin, I'll pass this time. I'm gonna pick some food up while you guys are out." _Thank God… food!_

"OK, well… I gotta get out there before Dean gets too hungry and leaves me behind. Thanks again for letting me stay here Bobby. I really appreciate it."

"Any time, son."

_

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_

_Dean was right; the pizza was the best ever. I went to bed content that night, ready to say goodbye the next morning. And you know, if it hadn't been for the terrible dreams, I would have woken up content too. Instead, I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air as I shot out of bed and onto the floor._

_I'd been dreaming about my fourteenth birthday. The day a wendigo brutally killed my dad... and my uncle... and my sister. It was my first serious hunt. I was scared senseless but Hunter helped me through it... Damnit Hunter, why'd you have to leave so soon?_

_"_I still need you_…"_ I whispered into the silence of my new room as I got dressed and headed out, still rubbing my head where it hit the floor. _At least Dean is enough like you that he can almost fill the void._ I walked into the kitchen, losing my train of thought when the smell of fresh pancakes and bacon hit me. Bobby was sitting at the table alone, eating a stick of bacon while reading a newspaper_. I'm really glad he got food…_

"G'morning, Karter."

"Morning, Bobby." I sat down and looked around, expecting to hear, if not see, Dean with his pancakes. "Where'd they go?"

"Boise."_ Boise? Like… Boise, Iowa?_

"Already? I thought they'd at least say goodbye first, anyway." _So much for filling the void... Dean left me too..._

"No time. THey got a big lead about Bela's location." _Fucking Bela. She really does ruin everything, doesn't she?_ "They said to tell you that next time they stop by, they wanna drag you along with 'em. To make up for leaving so soon this time." _I get to hunt with the Winchesters? On second thought, I'm glad they ditched me._

"I'm I'm gonna have to hunt again I'd better be ready..." Bobby nodded.

"You've got time."_

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_

_*_Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed; I got writers block for a while... Anyway, the next one should be much better! It's set about a month later, after Karter and Bobby do a couple jobs to get Karter's skills back up to par. I'm not gonna spend time on the training because I don't know how to write it. Oh well.*

*Thanks for reading! And to the few of you who've reviewed, I'd like to thank you specifically for actually caring.*


	4. Is Camping Always This Odd?

*I changed my mind, this chapter is set a few months later than I first wanted it to be. Like, less than two months before the end of season 3. I needed warm weather for this plot, and February wouldn't work out so well...*

*Enjoy the story!***

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**4: Camping Never Felt So ___.  
**

"Remind me why we're doing this," I said as I struggled to put up a tent that I clearly had no idea how to build, "because we usually just get hotel rooms. Camping seems a little out of the ordinary. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just odd."

"Well," Sam started, eyes not moving from his laptop. "I thought that since we're hunting something that only attacks around this lake, and the nearby hotels were all booked or closed, we might as well camp out. It's a nice change of pace if you ask me."

"Of course you think it's nice. You're old enough to drink, you've got wifi, and Dean already finished setting up your tent." I sat down dumbstruck after I finished my tent correctly. _It's finally over! _With a contented sigh, I turned to find Sam laughing at my minor victory and Dean staring at two blondes making their way towards the lakefront. _Typical Dean._

"Great view…" Dean trailed off as the girls smiled and waved as they passed.

"I've got two words for you Dean: jail bait." He turned around, his usual smirk plastered wide across his face.

"I can look, can't I?" After glancing back over his shoulder at the girls, he approached Sam, who was still sitting with his laptop on a nearby bench. "So Sammy, what'cha got?"

"Seven disappearances over the past two weeks. Each of the missing people has had someone who looked nothing like them come into town claiming to be them. Bobby says he thinks it's some sort of demon that can change the appearance of its prey instead of itself." _That's unusual, even for the supernatural world. At least, I think it is…_

"Uh, any leads on just what exactly it is?"I asked, feeling a bit stupid for not knowing.

"I haven't found anything on the internet, and there's nothing about it in dad's journal. Bobby has no clue either. We don't know what it is, just how dangerous it is, or if there's a cure for the survivors." _Nothing at all? That's discomforting…_

"Yikes. We should be really careful then. And how do we go about killing it if we don't know just what we're up against?" I noticed myself sigh again and started to wonder when I had gotten depressed, because I definitely felt it.

"That's the best part," Dean said as he looked at me, then back to the screen. "We shoot it, then salt and burn it. Hope for the best." _Simple enough, but risky nonetheless._

_

* * *

_

After setting up our campsite and heading back into town for some snacks and beer, we decided to just relax on the lakefront. Sam and I claimed the tents for changing into our suits, and Dean just walked behind a tree, out of sight from the road, but not from my tent. I caught myself looking in his direction, not seeing anything below his shoulders from my position. _I guess if I'm this close to him and can't see him, he should be hidden well enough that no one else can either_… _good. We don't need indecent exposure issues…_

Dressed and ready, we set up chairs and our cooler by the lake, which was almost empty, other than one canoe in the middle, and two girls on the other side of the sandy area. I walked over to the shore and put my hands in the water to test the temperature. It seemed too cold to be comfortable, so I walked back to tell Sam and Dean that swimming may not be a good idea.

"It's pretty cold in there, maybe we should find something else to do."

"It can't be that cold, it's ninety freakin' degrees out here!" _It could be if it's spring-fed..._ "Besides, you didn't even go in. It always feels warmer once you're all the way in." Dean looked at the lake, then back at me with a calculating stare. _What is he up to?_

"That may be true, but I still don't want to have to deal with the initial discomfort of the cold. I guess I'll just head b-" interrupting me mid-sentence, Dean threw me over his shoulder and started for the dock. "What the hell are you doing Dean?!"

"You'll see." He jumped off the end of the dock, still holding my legs, and crashed into the chilly water with a huge splash. He let go of me underwater and I swam up to the surface, shivering. _Damnit Dean!_

"It's not that bad! You just gotta get used to it." Dean said; smiling his usual smile at me as he effortlessly kicked to stay afloat. Though I wouldn't admit it, he was right. Getting in all the way made the water seem much warmer than I originally thought. And I would have just stayed in and enjoyed it with him, but I kinda felt like crap all of a sudden. _I wonder why..._

"Hey, you in there?" Dean asked as he waved his hand in front of my face, braking my train of thought and returning me to the real world. I looked at him with a confused expression, and he raised his eyebrow, as if to ask me what was wrong without saying a word.

"I'm fine, just a bit lost in thought. Sorry." I turned away from him, feeling the need to distance myself from everything. _How did this come on so suddenly? It's like when I was depressed earlier; maybe I'm just tired._ _I'll head back to camp._

"Where're you going?" Dean asked, "We just got in! By now you've gotta be used to the water. What's wrong?" I didn't want to look back because I didn't want him to notice, but I thought it would be rude not to, so I did. I saw the concern in his eyes and looked away again_._

"I, uh… just don't feel well. Headache. I'm gonna go dry off and head back to the campsite. I'll tell Sam where I'm going… see ya." I turned from Dean and swam to the shore. As I approached Sam, I tried to sort out how I was going to deal with this confusing new dilemma. I explained to Sam that I had my head hurt, and he sent me on my way, saying that I could use the Tylenol in the first aid kit if necessary.

After arriving back at my tent, I quickly put my pants back on, and thought about what I had felt back in the lake. _Okay, I'm bipolar all of a sudden… why? I'm not feeling it anymore, but what if it gets worse… maybe it's a spell? Or that mystery demon?_

"Hey, are you alright?" I sat up and turned to find Dean at the opening of my tent, still not fully dressed. "I thought that if your headache was still bugging you, maybe I could try to work the pain out with a back rub. Sam and I do this all the time after hunts, so I'm pretty good at it. Want me to?" _If I say no he'll probably get suspicious because normally I wouldn't say no. I guess I should go with it then._

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks."

"No problem," Dean replied. _Okay, think. This trippy emotional thing never happened before I got here, which means the solution to this problem has to be nearby somewhere._ I laid down on my sleeping bag, face-down, and he started rubbing my neck and upper back. _I'm not gonna mention it just yet, because I could just be crazy. I'll figure it out… _Shockingly enough, through all of my curious thoughts, I fell asleep.

* * *

"Hey Karter, you awake yet?" _That's Sam's voice_. I rolled myself face-up and moved to the tent door, not even bothering to open my eyes fully.

"Yeah, what time is it?" _I fell asleep around 5:00, it was still light out then, and it is now, so it couldn't have been that long._

"It's ten in the morning." _Holy crap! Maybe it could have been that long…_

"Seriously?" Sam nodded and smiled. "Wow. What did you and Dean do for the rest of the day?"

"Well, I stopped by one of the neighboring campsites and got some information on the attacks. Dean… was asleep in your tent when I found him last night. Kinda weird, but I try not to question his sporadic sleeping habits. I'm just glad he's getting rest." _What?_ I turned around to find Dean lying right next to where I had been sleeping, half in his sleeping bag, and shirtless. _Huh, his massage must have been so relaxing that it even put him to sleep… wait, that doesn't make sense._

"Find out anything useful? A trail, new disappearances, more odd side-effects? Anything?" I asked, trying to subtly slip in a way to ask if my problem could be related somehow.

"Nope. Just a whole lot of nothing. Oh yeah, and we got invited to a party tonight. Campsite 26. They invited everyone from the grounds. There'll be lots of people and plenty of entertainment; this demon is bound to stay nearby if it wants another victim." _Good point. This thing will most likely stay close if everyone's there at the same time._

"Sounds great," said Dean, causing me to flinch. He noticed, and laughed "Calm down, Karter. I thought I had you relaxed last night." _Last night? Didn't the massage take place during daytime? What happened night? Since it isn't doing me any good just asking myself these questions, I'll ask him. That'll work…_

"What do you mean by 'last night', Dean? I thought I fell asleep while it was still daylight outside."

"You did, and so did I. I woke up once in the middle of the night, and you were cuddled up to me, one arm around me and everything. I couldn't get up and move without disturbing you, and you seemed pretty comfortable. I just stayed where I was and started sleeping again." _Dammit! I'm cuddling with guys now? What's going on?_

"Okay, but why did you sleep in my tent in the first place? You couldn't have been too tired to get up and walk five feet to the other tent in broad daylight. I know that, because your sleeping bag and pillows are in here with you."

"Well, since I had to share a tent with someone either way, I thought that I'd have more room in here with you than in a tent with Sasquatch. Why does it matter, did I offend you, princess?" _Great, now he thinks I'm upset with him. Way to go Karter._

"No, it isn't a problem… I get why you did it, and you're free to keep sleeping here. I'll try to stay off you. But, Sasquatch, really? Is that the best you can come up with?"

"Sorry, my sense of humor isn't awake yet. And don't worry about staying off me. I know I'm irresistible," he said with a grin. _Ugh… at least this weird emotional thing isn't making me crush on Sam and Dean… is it? _"Come on, you know I'm right."

"Shut up!" I laughed and hit him with a pillow. "Now get out, I need to get changed."

"Ok, lemme grab my stuff first." He got out of his sleeping bag and made his way over to his bag, revealing that he was only wearing his boxers. I stared for a few seconds before turning away, realizing what was going on now. _Shit! I AM into Dean! _I held my eyes shut tight so I wouldn't look again. _Can't look. Gotta stay strong… _"And that's the last of it. I'll get out now." He unzipped the tent door and left, re-zipping it afterward. _This is getting worse much faster than I thought it would. _I laid down in my sleeping bag again, afraid of what would come next. _What the hell is happening to me?  
_

_

* * *

_*Sorry this chapter's so... bipolar... There's a good reason for this. R&R!_*  
_


	5. Those Magic Changes

*Less bipolarity, more plot. For now.*_  


* * *

_

**5: Those Magic Changes**

_Nothing really happened from when I woke up with Dean until nightfall. We ate breakfast and lunch, and just sat and relaxed. It was peaceful; not bipolar like the rest of this trip. A nice change of pace if you ask me. Once the sun began to set, we got ready for the night. Not just the hunt, but the party at campsite 26. I wasn't sure of what Sam had planned, but I knew that Dean would probably hook up with some girl, get one night of fun, and never see her again. That's what usually happens, or so Sam tells me… _

"Alright, camping _and_ a party. Best trip I've had in a while." Dean was really happy to have even the small amount of break that we had gotten today and yesterday.

"Remember Dean, this isn't vacation. We've still got a hunt tonight. Don't get too caught up in whatever idiot falls for you this time." Sam said as he looked at Dean expectantly, and Dean just smirked and looked away. _I don't get it. I know I had the hots for him back at the tent, but now, the thought of me… with him… eww…__ It's strange, I can't remember feeling this way anytime before this trip; I guess it's just unusually sudden. And on-again-off-again. That really doesn't make any sense, does it? It's got to be the demon. _

"I know," Dean responded, "the hunt always comes first."

The party was just how I expected it. Lots of half-drunk or completely-drunk college kids around a bonfire. _I wonder who will get burned first? My money's on the guy in the underarmor shirt, he's practically dancing in it now. Idiot... At least everyone's in a good mood, it makes me happy to see so many people being so carefree._

Sam and Dean immersed themselves within the crowd, both seeming to enjoy themselves. I, on the other hand, sat in a nearby tree, watching for any demon activity. Or for anyone who walked off alone. _They'll be easy targets after this much alcohol, so I need to stay vigilant._

I sat and watched the party for half an hour, not worrying about being spotted until I heard activity at the bottom of the tree. I looked down to find none other than Dean standing there, making out with some blonde girl. _Eww… hey, wait; I'm still not into him… woohoo!_ The girl stopped kissing him and began to kneel in front of him. _I know what that means… _I felt my jaw drop. _Eww! Make it stop! Make it stop!!!_

After a while, they finished, and she walked off alone toward her campsite. _Finally! I thought I was gonna hurl! Now they're gone and I can be alone… except that she's alone too… o__h crap, she's in trouble. I need to follow her and make sure she stays safe. Never fear, random campsite whore; I'll protect you!_

Following at a safe distance, I watched her stumble her way back to her tent. _Okay, she's safe now. Great. _I turned around, but hesitated to start walking_. Just one problem, now I'm alone… crap. Could've done a much better job thinking this one through._ I began to run back to the party, flinching every time I heard a noise in the bushes. _I'll be fine… I've got my gun._ I reached into my jacket pocket to reassure myself, finding nothing but pocket. _Shit, n__ow I'm really in trouble!_

I ran all the way back to the tree that I had been stationed in earlier and found my gun sitting at it's roots. _It must've fallen out when I climbed down. At least nothing bad happened._ I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I spun around to see whose it was, raising my gun in the process.

"Jesus Karter, calm down!" It was Sam. I let out a sigh of relief and put my gun back into my pocket. "Why are you so paranoid?"

"I just got back from following some girl back to her camp to make sure she wouldn't get attacked. I ran all the way back here because after she was gone, I realized that I was alone, and my gun wasn't with me." My heart started to return to its normal tempo.

"Huh, good job not getting killed." _Uh… thanks?_ "Listen, I told Dean to meet us here soon so that we can get this hunt started."

"Yeah, sounds good."

Dean came to join us; he had been drinking, but he wasn't impaired even slightly. _I guess he knows his alcohol tolerance pretty well._ _Ooh, and the attraction is still gone; perfect! _We walked a short distance from the bonfire commotion, each of us straining our eyes to see amidst the dark bushes and trees. I found something suspicious and notified the Winchesters.

"Hey guys," I said, keeping my voice down. "Is that thing it?" I pointed to a large black silhouette just a few yards away. It seemed to be either digging or clawing at something. I couldn't tell, so I shined my flashlight at it. _Looking back on that moment, that may have been the worst idea possible…_ The thing turned to face me, eyes glowing in the light. It gave up whatever had preoccupied it before, and charged straight at me.

"Shit!" I grabbed my gun and fired, hitting either its lower torso or upper leg. I didn't think that that would be enough to kill it, so I shot again. This time it fell to the ground and stopped moving. _I really hope its dead. One encounter is enough, thank you very much._

"That was close…" Sam said, his eyes trying hard to focus on the body in the dull light.

"Yeah, I thought-" before Dean could finish, he and Sam were pulled backwards by what seemed to be two more of these things. They rolled on the ground for a short time, locked in combat, while I tried to figure out what I could do to help them out. I grabbed a fallen branch and lit the dried-out leaves at the end of it with my lighter. I swung the makeshift torch at them, and they ran off, blending into the dark forest. _At least we know that they don't like fire._ I dropped the stick and put out the fire, turning my attention to Sam and Dean next.

"Are you two okay?" I approached Sam and Dean with caution, unsure of what had really happened. I found them both passed out on the forest floor. Both of them had bite marks. _Shit… we lost.

* * *

_

After last night's struggle, I salted and burned the body, and dragged Sam and Dean back to our camp. I put Sam in his tent, and Dean in mine. I was too wound up for sleep, so I just sat outside for the whole night, prepared to fight the others off if they came for us. Daylight eventually came, and I had just started making some coffee over the fire when I heard stirring from Sam's tent.

"Wow!" The voice sounded like Sam, but different somehow. "Karter, you out there?"

"Yeah, Sam. You and Dean were bitten last night. There were two demons that showed up and ambushed us from behind. They got away… sorry. But anyway, are you okay? How much did you change?"

"The bite wasn't serious, I'm fine. I look like I'm 16 again, but I'm fine." _Wow. That's crazy, but, at least his change wasn't major. Hopefully Dean got lucky too. I wonder what he looked like at 16… no, now's not the time for that._

I watched Sam get out of his tent, almost not believing what I saw. He really did look just like himself, but younger. He held his pants on, because they were now much too big for him. I walked over to him to get a closer look at his new self. I reached out to touch him, just to make sure I wasn't imagining his change, when his eyes widened. _Oh no, did I freak him out?... Wait a minute; he isn't even looking at me. Is there something behind me?_ I turned around, only to be completely dumbstruck by what I saw.

I was sure that it was supposed to be Dean, but it was all wrong. The change wasn't even close to being small. He wasn't just a younger him, not like Sam. Fate, or karma, or God, or whatever it is that's in charge, decided that it would be funny to make Dean a girl. Yeah, he was lucky enough to be totally hot as a girl, but it was such an odd situation that I couldn't enjoy it. _Besides, having a crush on my almost brother, without the aid of my recent psycho mood swings, would make this even more uncomfortable._

"Not a word out of either of you," he _(she?!)_ said, his _(her?!)_ voice trembling. _Not a problem, I'm fresh out of words right now._ "I know that there is no known cure for… this, but we've gotta find one. I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life trapped in some chick's body. No way. I hate chick flick moments." Dean looked at Sam, then at me, then behind us.

"Hello?" Sam and I turned around to find a guy, maybe early twenties, standing at the edge of our lot. Dean didn't look at him, he was too busy looking at his hands. _Or rather, what his hands have become._ "I was just coming over to introduce myself," he said cheerfully. "You guys didn't show up at the party last night." _We did, just not in the state we're in now. In fact, I recognize this guy… drunken underarmor guy! That's it. _"I'm Matt." He put his hand forward.

"Hi. I'm Xander Harris."I shook his hand."This is my friend Wes Price, and my other friend…" _It's going to be weird to call him by a girl's name, but even weirder if I call a girl by a guy's name. _"Dawn Summers." Sam passed me a confused glance, which I ignored completely. "Sorry about not showing up last night. None of us are old enough to drink, so we'd have just been in the way."

"You could have had some booze; we wouldn't say anything against it. Hey, maybe you could come tonight. We're having another party." _Oh joy. Another party._ "Hey, I gotta go. I expect to see you three there." He ran back towards his camp, not giving me time to say no.

"Where'd you get the names?" Sam asked.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I gave us the first two male names I could think of, and for Dean... 'Dawn' is close enough. Speaking of Dean, where'd he go?" Sam and I walked around to the other side of my tent to find Dean sitting on the ground with his knees pulled in close, crying. _He must be really shaken up by this. I don't blame him. I don't know how well I'd handle it either._

"This body is so fuckin' emotional! I can't stand it." _If he doesn't stop crying soon, I'm gonna join him. I can't stand seeing people cry._

"Dean, it's gonna be alright." I sat down next to him and put my arm around him in an effort to seem comforting, but he jerked away like I was made of fire. I took my arm back awkwardly and looked away."I'm gonna find a way to make this better Dean, no matter what. I promise." He looked up at me, forced a smile, and walked away.

* * *

*Remember Dean, nothing lasts forever.*

*R&R*


	6. Assault and Flattery

*Isn't camping with a bipolar minor and two supernatural hunters in incorrect bodies fun? Personally, I think it's great."

* * *

**6: Assault and Flattery**

After several hours of on and off crying, Dean finally gained some control of his new hormones. He still looked like he was on the verge of tears, but he held it back. _If only I were so in control of my emotions. _He was starting to get comfortable in his new body, which was a huge relief for Sam and I, who had been trying everything we could to find a cure. Sam looked with his laptop, while I searched through our paper documents and called Bobby. Neither of us got any results.

"So," Dean began, "about that party…" _He can't seriously be considering going, can he? So soon after his change? I guess it could help him relax… after all, they'd let him drink. It might be good for him, but is he ready?_

"We don't have to go if you don't want to Dean. It's not mandatory." Sam said, turning to face Dean, who had been checking himself out in a mirror. "You decide."

"It'll help take my mind off of my… problem… for a while, so let's go." _Atta boy Dean! Way to cheer up! Just don't overdo it. _

"You can borrow some of my clothes since yours won't fit you right now," I offered. "You too, Sam."

"Thanks," they both replied.

"And Dean, stay on your guard while you're there," I added, "you're, well… beautiful." Sam's expression shifted to something I couldn't really identify, and Dean started blushing, though I don't think he realized it. _Now if only I were brave enough to tell male Dean that. That is, if the attraction ever returns. Which it most likely will. _"Some drunk guy is probably going to hit on you, so be careful. Don't get in over your head."

"I know how to watch out for myself. Besides, I'll have you two there just in case. And by the way, beautiful?" Dean laughed and punched my shoulder, and then turned back toward the mirror. Sam just kept staring at me with a look that I perceived as 'dude, are you hitting on my brother?' And if so, cut it the fuck out.' _Sam's protective of his new sister. How cute._

* * *

As nightfall came, so did the party. We headed down to the bonfire pit as a group, all of us wearing my clothes because their own didn't fit anymore. We said our goodbyes and split up upon arrival. _I don't know what Sam does at parties, but now that he's sixteen again, I expect his pubescent hormones to kick in again. He'll have a good night for sure. But Dean, I should watch out for him. He barely knows how to handle his new body._

Half an hour of watching Dean drink and chat with Matt (_drunken underarmor guy!)_ passed, and I decided to go and do my own thing. _I don't like beer, but the fire is nice. I guess I'll just find some way to preoccupy myself with it._ I pulled up a chair, and watched the fire burn for several minutes; until the dry heat finally began to irritate me. I decided then to get up and check on Dean. I went over to where he was, and I couldn't find him. I decided to ask one of Matt's friends where he went.

"Uh, I think Matt took her out to the lake to see it in the moonlight. He's totally gonna score with that girl." _Yeah right. He doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell with Dean. _"Matt always gets the girl, and she always comes back for more." A sloppy smile crept across his face. "Speaking of fucking… wanna head back to my tent with me? I guarantee a good time." _Flattering, but there's no time for meaningless party sex; Dean could be in trouble! And besides, he's a **he**. I don't swing that way… right now…_

"Yeah, sure. I'll meet you there." _When in doubt, lie. If not in doubt, lie anyway._

"Alright!" He slurred as he went away to grab more beer. I shook my head and ran off toward the lakefront, leaving him and the crowd of people behind me. _Did that guy even realize that he didn't tell me which campsite to meet him at? Poor drunken idiot._

As I got to the lake, I began to hear voices coming from somewhere nearby. I got closer to them, though I was still unable to see where they were coming from, so I stopped to listen.

"Come on, It'll be fun." _Male, clearly intoxicated._

"No thanks dude, I'm not interested. I'll see you later." _Female. Young. Not slurring words, so she probably isn't drunk._

"Don't be like that!" _He's mad, or just desperate. Poor girl…_

"Let me go!" _Wait…that sounds like… Dawn/Dean?! Shit! I've got to find them!_

"Dean? Where are you?" I called out into the darkness, no answer. I continued doing so for about half a minute. Still no answer. _Just when I want the moonlight a storm cloud rolls in. Perfect… now, if only I could stop panicki- wait, what was that?_ I heard a noise not far ahead, which sounded like muffled screaming. _Oh God, he's in trouble!_

I ran forward, barely dodging the trees that appeared out of the dark, and finally found them. Matt had gotten Dean on the ground, and Matt was on top. My ability to think was suddenly lost, and I charged forward, acting purely out of instinct.

"Sick son of a bitch!" I tackled Matt to the ground and pinned him. Punch after punch came before I realized that I was even hitting him. "**What**. **The**. **Fuck**. **Is**. **Wrong**. **With**. **You**?!" My words were abbreviated by punches to his face. _For once, I understand my sudden emotional shift. I'm just glad I got here in time to save Dean._

I got up and turned to Dean, who had already passed out on the forest floor. After kicking Matt once, I picked Dean up and rushed back to camp. Once there, I set him down on his sleeping bag and laid down next to him. _How could I have let this happen? I never should have let him go. God, I was so angry... I can't stand even thinking about it._ I rolled away from him, now facing the wall of the tent. _I wasn't there for him when I needed to be. If I had been, we wouldn't be in this mess. _I rolled again, so that I was facing him. What I saw next really confused me.

Dean was Dean once more. He was his normal, male self. _He's back?! Why?! Maybe attempted rape was the cure? No, it can't be… oh, who cares. He's back! Now I just need to get him out of my jeans so that he can sleep comfortably. Note to self, I'm not undressing him for personal gain. I'm doing it because he would want it._ I got him out of my pants, which had torn after he changed back, and sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner Dean. I love you- wow, did I just say that?! _I hate my emotions! _Well, either way, I want to be there for you when you need me to be, and I failed you. I'm sorry." _I guess I must really care strongly for him right now. But will I in fifteen minutes? This emotion thing is throwing off all sense of reason… _I put his clothes in one corner of the tent, and then I cuddled up to him like I had two nights before, and fell asleep, still pondering how he got back to being himself.

* * *

"Hey guys, you up yet?" Sam was waking me up again. He needed to stop doing that. _His voice sounds deeper, maybe he's back to normal too._ "I talked to Bobby, who figured out the cure for that thing's bite after a couple more hours of hard research. The cure is just being close to someone who continuously acknowledges who you really are. Looks like Karter cured us just by being around us." _Wow, that's kinda lame, but I'm glad it works._

"That's Karter for ya. Always there for you when you need him," Dean said, causing me to frown. _No, I wasn't there for you when you needed me most. I suck._ "Hey, do either of you know how I got here last night? I can't remember much after the party started." _He didn't drink that much, so why can't he remember? I've got it! Matt drugged him! That bastard… wait… maybe this is a good thing. If he doesn't remember, he won't be upset._

"No, I don't know how you got here; you and Karter were here when I got back last night. Hey, you guys hungry?" _Starving!_ "I'm gonna go into town and get some breakfast. I'll be back soon," Sam said. Just a moment later, I heard the Impala start, and he left.

"So… how much of last night do you remember?" I turned to Dean, who was looking out one of the tent windows.

"Just bits and pieces. I was hanging out with Matt and his friends, and later I was by the lake. I think I heard you yelling at someone, and then I remember being in here. You were sittin next to me, talking to me." _Good, he doesn't seem to remember the bad parts. Hooray for date-rape drugs… sort of… _"You said you were sorry for something. What happened? And don't lie, even if it's not good." _How am I gonna explain this? I guess I should just tell him the whole story, other than me saying 'I love you.' He doesn't need to hear that._

"Promise not to freak out, okay?"

"I'm a big boy now, I can handle it." I opened my mouth, but Dean cut me off. "Wait, we didn't… did we?"

"No, of course not! Even in a girl's body you still had enough common sense last night not to do that. But… you did almost have sex with Matt. Sort of…" Dean's eyes widened, and he blinked in disbelief.

"I thought you said I still had common sense last night. If I did, why would I choose to have sex with him?"

"You didn't; he did. He… he tried to rape you Dean. Rather, he tried to rape **her**." Dean's jaw dropped, and he looked away from me. "I found you just before he was starting, and knocked him off of you. I beat the living crap out of him, and then I took you here. You passed out before he had even gotten started. I think the reason why you don't remember it is because he drugged you." He just sat there for a while, not moving or saying anything.

"I'm gonna rip his freakin' lungs out! And then I'm gonna shoot him!"

"No one would try to stop you. Well, except maybe his friend from the party, but I think he's probably too hung-over to stop you." There was a pause before he spoke again.

"Why did you apologize to me?" Dean turned to face me, and I looked down into my lap.

"I didn't keep my eye on you at the party. I felt guilty for not being there for you sooner." He moved closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder. _Huh, strong grip._

"It wasn't your fault. Don't beat yourself up for it, Karter. You still helped me out, that's what's important. Right?"

"I guess so… are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I can't remember it, so just hearing about it doesn't hurt. I still want to go beat the living shit out of Matt later though."

"I don't blame you." _I'm glad he's taking this so well. Otherwise, this would be a lot harder to talk about…_

"Oh yeah, and I remember one other thing from last night." I looked up at him, curios as to what he had to say. "I woke up in the middle of the night again, and you were cuddled up to me again, but this time was different." _What does he mean by 'different?'_

I raised my eyebrow, and he continued. "This time, your hand was… well… you know." Dean motioned downward with his head, and I instantly understood. _Damn it! My unconscious self is a whore! _"I didn't know what to do about it, and I fell asleep again before I could figure it out." _He… he really just left it there?!_I looked at my hands, then back to Dean.

"On top of the boxers?"

"…Through the hole in the front..." _Fuck!_

"I don't know what to say, other than 'I'm sorry' of course. I do tend to move around in my sleep…"

"Don't worry about it. It's like I said before, I'm irresistible."

* * *

*Stay tuned, for the exciting conclusion of this week's episode!*


	7. Anger Issues

*Conclusion? Yes.*

*Exciting? Maybe.*

* * *

**7: Anger Issues  
**

I got out of tent after a few minutes and enjoyed the great weather that surrounded me. Sam had made eggs and sausages for us all over the campsite grill while Dean just sat around staring at the pretty girls across the road. I smiled and sat down next to Dean. _Everything is as it should be again... _I finished my breakfast long before Sam or Dean, so I decided to use my extra time before I had to pack up to go for a walk around the lake.

Following the pathway from campsite to campsite, I made my way toward the lake, enjoying the refreshing summer air. That is, until someone snuck up behind me and covered my mouth with a chemical rag. _I'm being kidnapped?... Amber alert! Amber alert! somebody call 911 for fuck's sake! _I tried to hold my breath while I pushed the rag away from my mouth, but I wasn't strong enough. I passed out just seconds after I finally inhaled.

During this time frame, I was bound and gagged and dragged away into the woods. Nobody noticed me or the perp - _just my luck_ - and Sam and Dean wouldn't start to worry about me for another half-hour at least. _Well isn't that just wonderful_._.._

_

* * *

_

Once I came-to, I found myself in the same forest clearing from last night; where Dean had almost been raped. I looked all around me and found my captor leaning against a tree. He had two black eyes and bruises all over his body. It was Matt. _Shit, he doesn't look too happy... _He stood up and walked over to me, glaring the whole way._  
_

"You know, Karter, you've been a real pain in the ass for me lately." _I'd say the same if I could manage to speak right now_... "First, you kill one of my demons," _His demons? He summoned those things?!_ _Now I have even more reason to worry!_ "Then, you ruin all of my fun with you friend Dean," _I guess if they really are his demons he always knows who's who..._ "And worst of all, you figured out how to reverse the effects of the demonic toxins from the bites." _Actually, that one was Sam... _"Now then, how am I gonna punish you for all of that?" _Shit, if I don't think of something fast, I won't make it out of this alive... what would Sam or Dean do in this situation?  
_

Matt paced in front of me, inaudibly talking to himself the whole time. I closed my eyes, hoping that I would just wake up from a bad dream. _This can't be happening, it just can't! There's no place like home, there's no place like home… _When I opened my eyes, Matt was gone. _It worked! But then, why does it still feel like he's here?_

"I think I've got a good punishment for each of those problems." _It didn't work; he just walked behind me. Damnit. _"For stopping me from getting laid, I'll fuck you instead; to make up for lost time." _Oh no... _"For finding the cure, I'll let my surviving two demons bite you." _Oh no... _"And for killing one of my demons, I'll kill you when this is all said and done." _Oh God, no..._ "Also, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you. For good measure. And if you don't mind, I'll start immediately with the fuck." He pushed me onto my stomach, and pulled my pants down around my ankles. _The only thing between me and his… eww… is my boxers, and I really hope I don't lose that barrier. __I have to get out of here, __**now**__! _He untied my hands, and almost instantly, had both of them tied with ropes to nearby stumps. _I'm trapped... there's no way out._ As that realization hit me, I felt the first tear run down my face.

"Sam! Dean! Help-" I was cut off by Matt's hands closing around my neck. _Can't breathe; gonna die... No! __I can't give up, I have to try again once he let's go._

"Can I trust you not to scream again?" His voice was heavy with anger and lust. I nodded my head and he pulled his hands up to crack his knuckles. _Have to get help! _Once I had enough air, I tried to scream again, but he just grabbed my neck and choked once more. "Don't you know that it's rude to lie?" He laughed and shoved my face into the ground. _My emotions... I'm not in control anymore..._

"Fuck you, Matt!" _This time it's rage... and it's strong!  
_

"Shh; it'll all be over soon Karter." With that sudden rage somehow backing me up, I broke the ropes and threw him off of me. _For once I find a good use for these mood swings..._

"It's gonna be over sooner than you'd think, Matt." I stood up and grabbed his knife from the ground. "Much sooner."

* * *

I woke up in my tent, completely unsure of what was going on. Dean was staring at me, and he smiled when I opened my eyes. His smile faded quickly though.

"I found you laying on the ground in the woods where you found me last night. Matt was dead when I got there. Knife still in his head..." Dean said, still looking right at me. _Thank God, now he can't hurt anyone ever again._ "What happened?" _That's a good question..._

"All I remember is getting tied up, then being really, really angry." Dean nodded.

"That's all you need to know."

"And why is that?"

"This job is stressful enough. Remembering murdering someone isn't something you want to have to deal with."

"Oh... right."

"Anyway, I found a charm in his jacket pocket which he used to create those demons. Apparently this guy wasn't just some run-of-the-mill, psychotic drunkard/rapist; he summoned demons part-time."

"I know. Can I still help you and Sam hunt them tonight?" _I need to know that they're gone for good..._

"No, they're dead. Sam destroyed the charm, and the demons died with it. No more threat here." Dean looked away. "So… how ya feelin'?"

"Surprisingly, not bad. My neck hurts, but I'll survive. I'm just glad to be back here with you; it's comforting..." _I hope that wasn't a weird thing to say. _"Thanks for looking out for me."

"You did the same for me, and even if you hadn't, I still would have come for you. It's what I do." Dean looked back at me and smiled. We sat like that for a while, doing nothing at all. "I remembered one more thing from last night, Karter."

"What is it?"

"You said… that you loved me." _Why that? Why just that?_

"You sure you didn't make that up?" _I'm not lying, I'm deflecting._

"I'm pretty sure it happened. Besides, you look like you're hiding something. I think you know what I'm talking about."

"Dean… can we please talk later? Right now I just want a shower." _Still not lying, now I'm just dodging the question._ Dean looked annoyed, but he nodded.

"Yeah, but we're gonna talk about this sooner than later." _Why can't he let it go? I really don't want to tell him that I love him. It could ruin everything between us. And besides, I don't love him in any way other than brotherly. I'm not really sure anymore._

"Okay Dean, we'll talk later." _Unfortunately,_ _I can't hide forever.

* * *

_

I had a good shower before I headed back to the campsite, which, to my surprise, was already packed up and put away. Dean was sitting on a chair next to the Impala, and Sam was leaning against a tree to Dean's left.

"I guess we're leaving now, aren't we?" I asked, Sam and Dean both turning to face me when they heard me.

"Yeah," Sam started, "a hunter was killed by a group of shape-shifters, and we need to get rid of them."

"And here you are, so let's go," Dean said as he twirled the keys around on his index finger and waved goodbye to two of the girls from the campsite across the road. I got in the back seat and buckled my seat-belt as I looked out my window. _Thank God I never have to see this place again. It's a nice lake, but I've got too many memories here._

"So, where are we headed next?" I turned to Sam, who had just gotten out a road map of the U.S.

"Allentown, Pennsylvania. Bobby would have normally handled his friend's request on his own instead of sending us, but he's busy. Apparently, he's on a fishing trip in Oregon right now." _Wow, I never thought of him as the 'vacation type.'_

"Good for him, he deserves a break. Besides, we can handle this by ourselves, can't we?"

"I can't make any guarantees, but I think we'll be fine. Shape shifters are really tricky, so we'll have to be very careful."

"Don't be like that, Sammy! We're gonna do great, like we always do. No worries." _Anytime someone says 'no worries' is when I worry the most. Something's gonna go wrong, I just know it. But what?

* * *

_*Finally, a new hunt! I sure hope there's no more trouble for poor Karter...*


	8. No Excuses

*Well, even with how long this took I'm still not satisfied with it. The next chapter is way better. And sooner : ) *

* * *

**8: No Excuses  
**

After several hours of nothing but idle conversation in the Impala, we reached our destination: Allentown, Pennsylvania. It's the third most populous city in Pennsylvania, so we had no trouble finding a motel room for a few nights, and a place to grab a decent meal. Dean got a cheeseburger, Sam ordered a salad; Dean harassed Sam for ordering rabbit food. I just smiled in content, enjoying how utterly normal this was.

When we got back to our room Dean headed into the bathroom for a much needed- shower and Sam e-mailed an old friend from Stanford who lived nearby. I just laid on the couch and channel-surfed for a good ten, maybe fifteen minutes. _I wonder when my mood swings will fire up again…_

"Karter?" I turned to Sam, who was looking at me with a very concerned expression. He had finished his e-mail and set his laptop on the nightstand to charge.

"Yeah, Sam?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I sat up to face him.

"I'm fine, just a little tired. Why wouldn't I be?"

"This morning was the first time you killed someone completely human." _Oh yeah… that… _"I know what it feels like to deal with that, and I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about it."

"Thanks Sam, but I'm really okay. I've been hunting for years, so killing doesn't bug me as much as it should. That's probably not a good thing, but whatever." Sam opened his mouth, but I cut him off before he started, "Besides, this guy was a monster anyway." _I imagine that that is part of why Dean handled it so well too. He's been hunting for at least eight more years than me, and I know he's killed people. _I laid back on the couch and relaxed. "I always assumed that something like that would happen sooner or later. I'm just lucky Dean showed up when he did. If someone else had found me, I don't know what would've happened."

"You're damn right you're lucky!" Dean shouted from the bathroom.

"You almost done in there?" Sam shouted back. Dean walked out, wearing his last 'clean' outfit and looked at Sam. "I'll take that as a yes." Sam got to the bathroom door, but he turned around. "Seriously Karter, if you ever need to talk."

"I know. Thanks." He nodded and walked out of the room. Dean's stare moved to me. _He wants to talk now, doesn't he…_

"We need to talk about this." _Yup. That's his 'I'm not kidding (for once)' tone._

"Can't it wait? I don't really know how to explain it."

"Well then, you'd better start thinking." I just sat and stared at the hideous painting by the window, trying to piece a story together. "Karter? Are you gonna talk, or not? On second thought, it's not an option. Talk." Dean waited semi-patiently for my answer.

"Dean… I…" I swallowed hard, and looked up at the roof. "I have no idea what to say. Bottom line: I'm either bisexual or bipolar. Maybe both, because I thought you were hot back at the lake, but now I'm not into you again. Can I see a psychologist while we're here?"

"Nope. We're just here for the shape shifters. And by the way, worst explanation ever."

"I'm sorry I'm not as wordy as you or Sam. And if I can't see a shrink can I at least go to the library tomorrow, see if I can find some self help book or something?"

"It'll give you time to come up with a halfway decent excuse for telling me you love me. So sure, why not."

"I guess we'll re-schedule this talk for tomorrow night then."

"You'd better have a real reason next time. Now get some sleep." _Why did I have to say __**that**__? Of all the embarrassing things I could have said, why that?_

* * *

[Dean POV]

Sam got out of the bathroom twenty minutes after going in, same as always. He looked at Karter, who had passed out on the couch, then at me. I was still channel-surfing at the time, finding nothing interesting on any of the 2,000 channels. Not even any good porn…

"What did you guys talk about?" Sam asked, lying back on his bed. _I don't think Karter wants him to know. I'll just make something up; no problem._

"He got depressed after the first party. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he didn't know how to get a relationship started, and that he was afraid that it would never happen for him. He wouldn't talk to me about it then, so I bugged him until he agreed to talk. Being the stud that I am, I had some good dating advice for him. He's better now."

"Oh… poor guy. He's been through a lot in the past few days. I caught him freaking out under a tree that night. He got scared after escorting some girl back to her tent to keep her safe, because he was all alone once she was gone, and he didn't have his gun with him at the time. I don't think I've ever seen him so jumpy."

"I guess he had a lot on his mind." _Yeah, and by 'a lot' I mean me. God, that's just wrong on so many levels…_

"Yeah. By the way, what happened after the second party? You and Karter just left without saying anything." He sat up on his bed and looked at Karter, who was still sleeping. _I gotta lie again. Sammy doesn't need to hear that I was drugged and taken advantage of on my only night as a chick._

"Matt slipped something into my drink and lured me away from the crowd. Karter saw it happen and came to the rescue. I passed out when he was bringing me back to the tent." _Not too far from the truth._

"That's why he went after Karter the next morning, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Karter pissed him off; he wanted revenge. I'm just lucky I got there before he killed him."

"Definitely." There was a long silence after that, neither of us quite sure what to say next.

"Well, since we're clearly done talking, I say we take Karter's lead and get some sleep," I said, yawning shortly afterward.

"Yeah." Sam went into the bathroom to brush his teeth while I looked at Karter to make sure that he was really asleep. After coming to the conclusion that he wasn't looking, I stripped off my clothes and slipped into bed. _I never thought I'd have to worry about Karter watching me take my clothes off. It's too weird. _Sam came out of the bathroom and turned off the lights. I heard him crawl under the covers of his bed. "Good night, Dean."

"Night, Sammy." I rolled onto my side, facing the window and the door. _How am I gonna deal with Karter? I've had tons of girls say that they were into me, and even a few guys, but never someone I was this close to. I can't just say 'no; I don't buy that "I'm suddenly not into you after I tell you I love you" crap. I can't say 'yes' either though. He's a guy, and I don't feel that way about him. This won't just go away if I ignore it, but I don't know what to do. For now, I just need to get some sleep. Maybe I'll have an idea in the morning._

* * *

[Karter POV]

I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. _It's only 12:30 now, so I shouldn't give up on sleep and stay up, but I can't seem to fall back asleep._ I looked around the dark room. Sam was sleeping peacefully, and Dean wasn't in his bed. _He must be in the bathroom._ I wrote a note explaining that I had gone for a walk, and grabbed one of the room key cards. I exited the room without making a sound, other than the loud click of the door's automatic lock.

_It's a nice night; cloudy, but nice. The air is warm, the breeze is nice, Dean is right next to me… wait, what?_ I turned to Dean, who was all dressed and staring at his Impala intensely.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked, not looking at me.

"No. I guess you couldn't either." I looked up at the starless sky, wondering if it would rain. "Dean, I'm really sorry about earlier. I-"

"Don't worry about it. Hey, I heard about a really great place over by the edge of town when I was at the diner, do you want to go?" _I've got nothing better to do. But I might fall asleep… oh well._

"Yeah, let me just grab my jacket." I turned to the door and put my key in the lock. Dean grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face him.

"You don't need it, it's a nice night. Let's just go."

"No. I think it might rain soon. And don't be so grabby, it doesn't suit you." I turned around again and reached for my pocket. Dean grabbed my wrist to stop me. "Seriously, Dean. Lemme go back inside; I'll only be a minute."

"You can use my jacket, now come on." Dean's voice was aggressive. _What's his problem?_ I jerked my wrist out of his hand and grabbed my key, quickly shoving the key-card into the lock and moving into the room, closing the door behind me. I flinched as I heard the loud click it made as it auto-locked. _Seriously, what's his problem?Is he really that upset about the love issue?_

"Karter? What were you doing outside in the middle of the night?" I turned my attention to the speaker, which, to my shock, was Dean. He looked at me, then at the key in my hand. "You going somewhere?" _Okay, I know I'm tired and half-crazy, but this is too much._

"Quite frankly, I'm not sure anymore. I went out to get some fresh air, and I ran into you out there." Dean raised an eyebrow. "You said you would take me someplace nice by the edge of town, and I came in to get my jacket, only to find you in here. I'm either crazy or still asleep… or both…" I hit my knuckles together to test my consciousness. _Nope, I'm awake. Still possibly crazy._

"I was outside?"

"Yeah. And you were really pushy. It was very out-of-character of you." Dean's eyes widened, and he looked at the door.

"Don't go back out there."

"Why not?" _He seems really worried..._ Dean sighed.

"Don't you remember what we're here to hunt?"

"Yeah. Shape shifters… oh, I get it. It was a trap. Damn, if I weren't so tired, I'd be pissed off." _It's true. I'm too tired for emotions._

"Just stay inside, it probably won't come in. By the way, why did you want to go out somewhere if you're so tired?" _To hang out with you. I'm bored._

"Insomnia. I can't sleep, even though I'm too tired."

"Oh. Well, if you think you can keep your hands to yourself for once, you can sleep with me in my bed. There's plenty of room." _Aw, how nice of him… huh, I guess I'm not too tired for emotions after all._

"Are you sure you don't mind? Even after hearing what I had to say earlier?"

"Yeah. Just keep to yourself."

"I will." He got into bed; I got in on the other side of the bed, into a different layer of blankets, facing away from him (this insured minimal contact). "Dean… thanks."

"Sure. Get some sleep. You'll need it for the hunt."

"Yeah, good point." I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

*Hunt next chapter! Woo!*


	9. Shifting Shadows

*I'm so sorry about the hiatus, I just got really distracted with my schoolwork. Without further ado, here's chapter 9.*

* * *

**9: Shifting Shadows**

"Okay, I know I said I wouldn't question Dean's sleeping habits anymore, but I'm really curious as to why I keep finding you two together." _Sam, stop waking me up. I'm getting really tired of it._

"Last night I went out to get some air, and I had a run-in with a shape shifter. It freaked me out, so Dean offered to help calm me down by giving me more space to sleep than I would have had on the couch, where I wasn't sleeping well in the first place." I yawned and looked at Sam through my half-open eyes. "Happy now?" _I hope that didn't sound too mean._

"I guess so." Sam started walking toward the bathroom. "What happened between you and the shape shifter?" His voice was muffled by the walls of the other room.

"It tried to lure him away from here, who knows what would've happened next," Dean commented as he rolled out of bed and straight to the fridge for what I guessed would have been beer or water. I just laid there for a couple minutes, thinking about how to fix things with him. Eventually I gave up and walked over to my duffel bag to grab a "clean" shirt and some pants; I then sat quietly and waited for Sam to get out of the bathroom.

"Bathroom's open," Sam said as he sat down on the edge of his bed, grabbing his laptop so that he could gather a little more information for the hunt.

"Thanks." I walked in and closed the door behind me. _Now then, if I could stop thinking about Dean for long enough to get on with my day, everything would be good…

* * *

_

"Is this the place?" I asked as I pointed to a large, warehouse-esque building. _Why can't the bad guys ever hide somewhere nice for a change? Like a mall, or maybe an ice cream shop… or Fiji?_

"I'm positive. They're in there; all of 'em." Dean grabbed his weapons from the trunk, and Sam followed suit. "Be careful in there, Karter. You've never had to deal with shifters before. They're tricky." _Aww, he's worried about me… wait, isn't that a bad sign?_

"I'll watch out. I promise." I grabbed a silver spike and a loaded gun and paused for a moment, waiting for an order from Sam or Dean. Neither of them spoke. _I'm getting kinda nervous now, is this really going to be this difficult? They said they had a lot of trouble with individual shape shifters, and there are three in there. We may be in way over our heads this time. I hope we're ready._

"Okay, let's go," Sam said as he closed the trunk and started off towards the building. Dean looked over at me, probably seeing just how nervous I was. _I can't help but feel like this won't end well. I can't concentrate like this. _He grabbed my arm and started walking after Sam. I found myself following him closely before I had even processed the realization that I should start walking.

We approached the door with caution, not sure just what to expect on the other side. Sam pushed the door open with almost no effort and passed Dean a 'stay alert' look. _My bad feeling about this just got worse. _Once we had all stepped inside the warehouse building, all of the lights 'coincidentally' shut off. _Much worse. _As I was reaching for my flashlight, I heard a loud slam behind me. Something inside had locked us in. _This won't end well. We're in pitch-black darkness with dangerous shape shifters. Shit, goddamn, and fuck._

"Stay close Karter." Dean's voice was comforting, almost reassuring. _Almost. _"Get away from him!" _Still Dean's voice, but from the right this time, not the left. Dean's still holding my left arm, which means that the Dean on the right is a fake! Shit!_ I grabbed my silver spike and swung it in the dark, hitting nothing, until finally I got a glancing blow. _Yes! Now I know where it is! _I leaned away from the real Dean and slammed the spike into what felt like a torso. _Bull's-eye!_

I pulled my spike out of the shape shifter's chest and saw its eyes flash an eerie whitish color before it fell to the ground. _Creepy bastard. It serves you right. _I sighed in relief, proud of my skills in the dark. I was about to ask Dean if he had Sam's arm too, but I got distracted by the return of the lights. I saw Dean looking around frantically through the room. _Sam's missing! They must have taken him in the dark!_

"Sam?" Dean shouted into the quiet of the huge factory-style interior. The only reply came from his own echo. "Sammy?" _No response, this is bad. Very bad._ Dean turned to me and sighed as he shook his head and clenched his fists.

"Don't worry Dean; we're going to-" I abruptly stopped talking and shifted my focus to a large wooden crate that was sitting about 6 yards to my right. _My feelings changed again… Don't get me wrong; I hate being afraid, but I just don't think rage is any better right now…_

"Karter?" _This is like my mood swings at the lake, but this time I know where the feelings came from… _"Dude, what's wrong?"

"Do me a favor: check behind that crate right there." I pointed to it, then looked back at him.

"Why?"

"My sudden bipolarity and headaches… I think its empathy. And I just felt a weird surge of anger from right around that crate." Dean rolled his eyes and moved to check behind the crate. _I hope I was right… _Dean crept behind the crate, and I heard gunfire shortly afterward. The rage went away immediately after that. _Was I really right?_ "Karter, come see this," Dean said.

I approached hesitantly, half-expecting a trap to be waiting for me. To my relief, when I came behind the crate, there was a Dean-lookalike with white flashing eyes bleeding on the floor. The flickering in it's now lifeless eyes stopped, and Dean smirked and looked up at me. _Now I know where the freaky emotions came from, but the question still remains: how did I end up with empathy in the first place?_

"I guess you trusted my crazy rambling enough to act," I said as I stared at the dead body. _I'm glad he trusts me, but that could've ended badly if I was just imagining it all. Or, maybe he knew that he could trust my feeling._ _After all, Sam was psychic once too. _"Dean, you said that you've read your father's journal front to back; do you have any idea what would have made me like this?"

"Not really, but right now we need to be focusing on how to find Sam." _He's got a point. My curiosity can wait until Sam's safe._

"Yeah. Normally I'd suggest that we split up, but with shape shifters out and about, we should stick together."

"Ok. We'll stay close until we know that every shifty bastard in here bites the dust and Sammy's safe with us." Dean took my arm again, and we started heading further into the warehouse. _I feel like a little kid with him pulling me around, but it really does help. Oh well…

* * *

_*If you feel like reviewing I'd love to hear what you think of my story.*


	10. Trying New Things

**10: Trying New Things**

"Empathy," I whispered as Dean and I carefully inspected the warehouse. "How could I have missed it... it's so obvious…"

"Focus, Karter. We have to find Sam," Dean said without looking back at me. "You can obsess about your 6th sense later."

"Yeah, sorry. It's just so weird."

"Well, if you're gonna be psychic, at least be useful about it. Try picking up on the last shape shifter or Sam."

"I don't know how." _After all this time worrying about why I was feeling so crazy, I never once tried to make it happen by myself. Okay then, there's a first time for everything…_ I focused while Dean stared at me impatiently. Nothing happened.

"Well?" He asked, looking around us. "Did you get anything?" I didn't respond, so he turned around and asked again. Still no response. "You still in there?" Dean waited for a few seconds, then grabbed my shoulders and shook me. _Please stop shaking me, I've got something…_ I pushed him away and glared.

"Back off, Dean! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dean just stood there and raised his eyebrow. _Wonderful; psychic tourettes... _"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shout, but this one's really mad." Dean smirked as he nodded to gesture a quick 'apology accepted' to me.

"You found the last shape shifter?"

"Yep, and it's very pissed at us, probably for killing it's allies." I focused again to find a direction. "Close by. Uh, straight ahead maybe?"

"It's worth a try." Dean readied his gun and snuck behind the crate in front of us. _Wait for it… wait for it... _I heard more gunfire. _Perfect... The anger's all gone now, which means he got the shifter! _I ran behind the crate and saw Dean, a dying, half skinless body with flashing eyes, and an unconscious Sam. _Success!_

"Looks like the gang's all here. Now we just need to work on getting out." _That was easier than I expected. For once. _Dean grabbed Sam and started walking. "Alright, let's get the hell out of here!"

* * *

Once we had gotten back to the hotel, we laid Sam down on his bed, and Dean and I sat on his, channel-surfing again. _How is there never anything to watch other than porn?_

"Hey Dean," Dean turned his attention away from the TV Guide Channel. "You get why I said I loved you back at the lake, right?"

"Cause I'm hung like a horse, fuck like a gladiator, and have the face of an angel?" _Nice try Dean. A+ for effort and creativity._

"Yep," I said with a 'matter-of-fact' tone. Dean looked at me curiously. He was about to say something, but I interrupted. "But I was picking up on that from the girls who were there too, not from myself. I was just empathically gaining the attraction." Dean looked relieved at that comment, and he leaned back on his bed. "I do love you though, just in a brother way."

"Well, that's a relief, and I'm glad you figured it out, but aren't you worried about falling back into the attraction? I mean, everywhere we go, there's always someone who ends up with the hots for me." I blinked a few times, then looked away. _Shit, I hadn't thought of that. I guess... I have to keep becoming attracted to him? I know I'm still straight, so this sucks. A lot. _"Are you gonna be okay?" _I sure hope so…_

"I'll be fine once I learn how to control it. And hey, I think Sam's coming-to." We both looked over at Sam, who had sat up and begun to rub his eyes.

"You got them all?" Sam asked, yawning shortly after. _I should have woken him up sooner, as revenge for him waking me up so often._

"3 shape shifters down, none to go," Dean answered.

"That's great." Sam smiled and started to lie back down.

"And apparently Karter's an empath." Sam sat right back up again.

"Wait, you mean like: psychic, emotion reading empath?"

"Exactly." I added in with pride. "The only drawback that I've noticed is that I can't shut it off. It keeps giving me emotions that… that won't be resolved anytime soon." I passed a glance to Dean, who didn't notice. Or pretended not to, anyway.

"Well. We're in town for the rest of the night, so maybe you can start to figure it out here. I'll be visiting some friends from Stanford who moved here, and Dean said that he'd head down to the bar. What do you want to do?" I wasn't prepared for his question, but the answer seemed obvious to me. If I was going to figure this out, I'd need lots of information.

"If you could drop me off at the library…" _Research, yes._ _If I can control this power it will become a great asset to me and the guys._

"Yeah," said Dean, "no problem."

* * *

After spending 3 hours in a library, I decided that I had had enough of research. I walked back to the hotel, not seeing the Impala in the parking lot. _Sam must not be back yet. Oh well, I'll just have to tell Dean the news if he's back yet. My powers are probably active on anyone within about 25 yards, and a couple books said they can copy not only emotions, but opinions and impulses too. This could be really useful for us... _I walked up the stairs to the second level of the hotel and put my keycard in the lock, which clicked open immediately.

I pushed the door open, stepped inside and turned to the table to put my stuff down, and once I had my coffee safely on the solid wood, so it wasn't in any danger of being dropped, I turned around and froze up after seeing something terrifying. _Dean is… naked… oh God, how did I miss that as soon as I came in? _

"Karter!" he slurred, smiling widely. "Where've you been, buddy? You're missin' all the fun!" He looked over at the woman stepping out of the bathroom, then back at me. _I should have known he'd do this._ I moved toward the door, but something stopped me. _Why won't I leave? _I looked at Dean, who was barely covered by a thin sheet. _The attraction is back! Crap. Must… look… away…_ "Sally here had a friend at the bar that was really into teenagers. She woulda loved you." _Does he really think that now is a good time to strike up a conversation?_

"I think I'm just gonna…" I started, turning toward the door. _I have to stay strong._

"Don't bother," the girl said as she slipped on her dress. Dean blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus, and he managed to see the girl (_he said her name was Sally, but I know not to trust his memory when it comes to one night stands)_ standing at the edge of the bed, quickly sliding on her shoes. He groaned and fell back on the bed, covering himself up with a blanket. _That was an odd groan; half lust, half disappointment._ 'Sally' brushed past me and left the room.

"Fuck!" Dean shouted to no one in particular. "Great timing, Karter," he grumbled, becoming pouty and pathetic, the way he often did when he'd been drinking a lot. "You chased her off."

"I'm sure you'll manage to survive. Now please put some clothes on." I tried hard not to look, but it wasn't working so well. _Curse you, borrowed emotions! I'm still close enough to the bar to pick up on everyone who saw him that was into him. _I settled into the chair by the table and set out all of the info that I had grabbed from the library. I was about a minute into it before Dean spoke up again.

"Well?" Dean snapped.

"Well what?" I asked, frustrated, and making a point of not turning my head to look at Dean while we talked. _Why does he have to be like this? I'm only so strong, and I may lose it if he doesn't get dressed soon_.

"You just gonna leave me like this?" Dean sounded… well, adorable; like a little kid who was whining about his best friend breaking his favorite toy, and insisting he replace it. He sounded hurt, and angry, and petulant. _He's so pathetic when he's drunk._

"Okay. I'll go find you another girl," I suggested, finally turning toward Dean again, doing my best to look him in the eye. _That way I'll have a chance to calm down. _Dean made a sad face.

"You kidding me? I don't wanna wait that long for another girl…"

"Well what do you want then? I'll go get you something if you need me to." _Anything to get me out of this situation…_

"Nah... what I want now is for you to come over here and help me out. You owe me." _What? I know he's drunk, but he can't be serious!_

"Dean, you're wasted," I said while making sure to look only at Dean's face, and not any other part of his body, which he had just uncovered. _Why the fuck does Dean have to be so goddamn hot? No, shut up borrowed emotions! I won't give in to this._

"And I'm horny too," Dean added helpfully, nodding and smiling, because really, when it came down to it, horny trumped just about everything else. _It definitely trumps drunk._ "Don't forget horny, Karter." I didn't know what to do. I tried to shake my head, tried to say no, but I must have hesitated a bit too long, because Dean's knowing smirk had changed clumsily into a predatory grin.

"I… I just can't." _I need to be strong._

"Why not?" Dean pouted as he stuck out his lower lip slightly, in that way that few people could ignore. _He isn't as good at getting what he wants as I am, but he's pretty damn irresistible_.

"Dean, please. Just cut it out. I can't do this…" I turned back to my notes. _God, I sound like I'm begging. This sucks on so many levels…_

"Why? Can't we live a little? Is it gonna kill us if we have some fun?" _It won't be fun for me once this feeling goes away._

"We're practically brothers, and neither of us is gay." _I know that it's a pathetic excuse, but it's all I've got right now. _I kept staring down at my papers, hoping to find any distraction at all.

"So what? We're not actually related. And besides, it's not like we're gonna do it again after this. Who gives a shit?" _I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it._ As I was focusing so hard on resistance, Dean came up behind me without my noticing, and set his hands on my shoulders. "Come on, you know you wanna." _… I… _"Well?" He asked coolly.

"… … … …

* * *

*Cliffhanger... ooh. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of... this fanfic! Lol, review please*


	11. Aftermath

*I hope you all liked chapter 10. Here's #11*

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**11: Aftermath  
**

[Dean POV]

"Shit," I mumbled to myself as I began to wake up, "My head's killin' me." _I don't even remember coming back to the hotel room, but I do remember some parts of last night. I was here with Shirley, and then… it's mostly a blur._

"Here." I looked over at Karter, who was standing by the edge of my bed with a bright green cup in his hand and a stern expression. "This will help with the headache." I took the cup quietly and drank it all. "I threw some hangover relief medicine in there. I thought you might want it, since you were completely wasted when I got here last night. Why did you go so overboard? That is, if you can remember why." _What's his problem? He looks like he's disappointed. Either that, or just pissed._

"It sucks dealing with one psychic in the family, but two? This is gonna be insane. I thought I'd drink to ease into it." Karter looked away, like he was ashamed of himself. I reached out and put my hand on his. "Hey, it was a joke. I'm happy for you." His face was turning red, like it always did before he cried. "But you don't seem very happy."

"I didn't have a very good night." _Does he expect me to already know why?_

"I'm gonna need an explanation, Karter. I can remember seeing you last night, and you made Shirley leave. I fell asleep after that and I don't know what happened."

"Correction: you were knocked out." _Knocked out?_

"What? Why?"

"I'm too tired for a watered-down explanation, so please forgive me for being blunt here." _Now I'm worried…_ In your drunken stupor, you got a girl named Sally to come in to sleep with you. I walked in on you, and she got flustered and left. Still wanting to get off, and wanting a warm body to do it in, you came on to me, assuming that the empathy would lend you a helping hand and persuade me. As I was about to refuse, the empathic attraction kicked in…" _I know where this is going. _"…I eventually gave in." _I knew it. Fuck!_ "About one minute in, the feeling faded. My mind went into shock from the sudden pain of realization, and I knocked you out in my panicked state of mind." _That explains the bump on my head. And the part of the headache I know isn't hangover. _"I couldn't sleep afterward, so I went for a walk to calm down."

"Karter, I-" He raised his hand to interrupt.

"Just go back to sleep."

"Why? I got plenty of sleep, I'm not tired." Karter sighed, frowning even further.

"You will be." _What's that supposed to mean? _"The drink had a strong sleeping pill dissolved into it." _He drugged me? That little bitch..._

"But… why?" _I can already feel it kicking in. God damn it._

"I guess I'm just no good with goodbyes." _Goodbyes? _The last thing I saw before passing out was Karter using the sleeve of his hoody to wipe a tear from his cheek.

* * *

"Karter!" I woke from a drug-induced nap shouting his name at no one in particular. I found Sam sitting on his bed, staring at a piece of paper.

"He's gone, Dean." _Karter ran away... damn it. I hope it isn't entirely my fault._

"Where'd he go?"

"I have no idea. He left a note, but it didn't say where he was going." _Fuck._ I sighed, shaking my head in frustration.

"What'd the note say?" Sam picked up the well-creased piece of loose-leaf paper he had been staring at earlier and started reading:

'Dear Sam and Dean, Sorry to just run off like this, but I need to learn how to control my powers before I cause anymore serious danger and/or damage. If you want to know what I mean by that, just turn on the news. I should be the top story by now. Anyway, I'm gonna see if my aunt can pick me up later. She's psychic too. I think that she would be the best person to train with. I'll try to stay in contact, and I'll definitely call once I get my powers figured out. You both already have my cell number. Call if you ever need me. I wish you the best of luck in finding a way out of Dean's contract, and in dealing with Bela (I still hate her).  
P.S: Dean's bruise should go away after a day or two… probably.'

Karter.

_He ran away. This may end up being the last time I ever see him, if I can't get out of the deal in time._

"Sammy, turn on the news." Sam nodded as he picked up the remote and turned on the TV. He flipped to a local news station. The newscasters had just introduced themselves, and had announced their first story. 'Late Night Murder and Arson.'

"At approximately 1:00 am this morning," the male newscaster began, "a mentally unstable teenager stabbed a man to death with a railroad spike and then proceeded to set the abandoned warehouse on fire." My eyes widened after hearing that, knowing very well that it had been Karter. _Wow… __he really lost it. _"The only witness, the victim's brother, had this to say." The footage that was showing the burnt remains of the warehouse that we had just hunted in less than 24 hours ago shifted to the interview of the witness.

"The guy was just walking down the street alone, but he suddenly fell over. My brother and I went to ask him if he was okay. He said that he didn't want to be angry, but someone was making him feel that way. He got up and ran into the warehouse. We decided to wait for a while to see if he as okay… He ran out of there and attacked my brother, and then took off running again. There was an explosion in the warehouse just a few seconds afterward." _That explains why he seemed so depressed earlier. His powers forced him to murder someone… He really does need training..._

"The authorities have composed a sketch of the teen, and we encourage you to report any signs of him, whether you know him, or if you meet-" Sam turned the TV off.

"I get why he left now," Sam said solemnly. "He committed assault, battery, arson, and murder all in one night, and all against his will. It must have been horrible for him." Sam paused before speaking again. "I'm glad he's getting help."

"Gonna miss him though." I added, not really sure of what else to say…

* * *

[Karter POV]

After the pill knocked Dean out, I called a taxi to take me a few towns away, to Harrisburg. On the way there, I decided to figure out who I could call to help me out. _Normally, that would be Bobby, but I know that Sam and Dean would look for me there. The Roadhouse burned down, so I can't stay with Ellen... That only leaves Aunt Pamela. She's a busy woman, so I'd hate to impose, but she's all that's left of my family. Plus, she's psychic too... maybe she could help me get the hang of my powers, and give me a place to stay too... Maybe._

I dialed her number and anxiously waited for her to pick up.

"Pamela Barnes here, who may I ask is calling?" _Yes, she picked up!_

"Hi Aunt Pamela, it's Karter."

"Karter? I didn't recognize the number. It's great to hear from you though, how have you been?"

"Well, not so good actually."

"What's wrong? Do you need a place to stay?"

"Actually, yeah. And I was kinda hoping you could help me out with one other thing too..."

"Of course, what else is family for? Just tell me what's wrong and I'd be happy to help."

"Okay." _I guess I'll start from the beginning, back in New York. _"A couple days ago I started getting really unnaturally moody and bipolar, and it just kept getting worse and more frequent. I had no idea what to do, so I just kept hunting... I figured out yesterday that it was empathy, but I can't turn it off. It's already gotten me into a lot of trouble, and I need your help."

"So you ended up psychic after all. That's great!" _Great? Didn't she hear the part about the 'lot of trouble'? Or was she just blocking it out with excitement?  
_

"I can't control it well enough to shut it off, so for now I wouldn't consider it great."

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm about five minutes away from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania."

"Well that's convenient. I'm in West Virginia and I just finished a job for an old friend. I'll be there soon. We can talk about the trouble you've gotten yourself into when I get there." _Looks like she did hear me...  
_

"Okay. I'll see you soon Aunt Pamela. Goodbye."

click.

* * *

*Poor Karter... separated from the Winchesters again. At least he has Pamela...*


	12. Avoiding the Problem

*Wow, it's been too long since I updated this... Here's the next chapter!*

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**12: Avoiding the Problem**

Aunt Pamela came to pick me up about two hours later. Before she showed up I'd been wasting my time in the local museums, which was probably a bad idea considering how boring they are, and how tired I already was. I hadn't gotten any sleep since before we killed the shape shifters, and I was still sore from what happened with Dean last night. And, as if I wasn't tired enough already, my empathy mimicked the fatigue of a few of the employees. Pamela showed up just in time, because as soon as I got into her car I passed out. And I didn't wake up once on the trip back to her house, which took over 13 hours. I also didn't wake up once we got there, so she opened the windows a little bit and left me asleep in the car.

I woke up an hour later in her car. _I guess she went in without me. Whatever... _She had left me a spare house key on the dashboard, so I let myself in, trying to make as little noise as possible. I climbed the stairs and set my stuff down in the spare bedroom. _Okay, this isn't so bad_. _I get to spend more time with Aunt Pamela, and I get to learn about my powers. And I even get my own room again... Now I can enjoy avoiding talking about Dean in peace.  
_

I laid down on the bed and sighed. _Onto the next problem, when am I gonna let Sam and Dean know if I'm ok? Should I even call them, or should I ask Bobby to tell them? No, that wouldn't work... he'd want to know why I ran away, and he's smart enough to know when he's been lied to. I don't think he needs to know about this... I don't want to talk to Dean either. I'll call Sam._ After using the front screen of my cell phone as a clock, I decided that it was too late for me to call him now. _Or is 3 AM considered early?__ Oh well, whether I'm early or late, it really doesn't matter. I'll just get his voicemail if I call now... wait... that's perfect! If I'm just leaving a message I don't have to explain anything, I can just get away with saying that I'm okay and that I miss them. Let's just hope he doesn't pick up..._

Taking a deep breath, I sat up and dialed Sam's number. It rang once. _Don't pick up! _Twice. _Please don't pick up! _Three times

"Hello?" _Damn it Sam!_

"Uh... hey Sam."

"Karter?" _He sounds tired... I guess I assumed he'd sleep through the ringing..._

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry if I woke you up." _Although if I did wake him up it would be making up for all the times he's woken me up lately._

"It's no big deal... Why did you run away?" _Well..._

"My powers are too dangerous. I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me."

"Yeah, I understand that, but why didn't you just tell us that you were going to leave? You didn't have to run away..."

"I know, but I need to get this taken care of sooner than later. I'm not safe for you guys to be around."

"You think we care about danger?" _No, not really... _"There's got to be another reason, Karter." _Yeah, it's Dean._

"It's Dean?" _Shit, I said that out loud didn't I? _"Whatever he did, or said, it can't have been bad enough for you to just leave us like this. If you guys would just talk about it I'm sure you would forgive him."

"I already forgave him." _Sort of... _"Just trust me on this, things aren't gonna get better between us anytime soon."

"But why? What did he do?" I sighed and shook my head.

"Look, Sam. It's late... or maybe early, I'm not sure. You need your rest. I'll explain everything eventually, so please don't bug Dean about it." Sam was quiet for a moment.

"Okay. I'll call you in a few days."

"Sure thing."

"Bye, Karter."

"Bye," I said with a hint of depression as I hung up the phone and laid back down. _Well, that's taken care of. He'll tell Dean and Bobby that I'm okay, and he'll tell Dean I forgave him. I'll call Ellen later, because I'm sure by the time she finds out about me she won't get all the information, and I don't want her to worry_.

I laid in silence for a while, and a low growl from my stomach surprised me. _That's right, it's been almost a day since I last ate. How did I forget that? _I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Finding the milk, cereal, and bowl was no problem since I had a vague memory of this house form my previous visits. I ate my cereal in silence, pondering just how long it would take for me to master my powers. _Or, at least to get control of them anyway.  
_

_

* * *

_

[Sam POV]

I hung up with Karter and set my phone back on the nightstand.

"Who was that?" Dean asked in a tired voice.

"It was Karter." Dean sprang up in his bed and turned toward me.

"Is he okay?" _First Karter won't tell me what's really wrong between him and Dean, and now Dean's acting weird too?_

"Okay, seriously. What's going on between you two?" _I know I told Karter I wouldn't bug him about this, but it seems important. _Dean changed his expression and looked away.

"I don't what you're talking about, Sammy." _I hate it when he avoids the problem. And when he calls me Sammy._

"Don't call me Sammy." Dean chuckled and fell back into his bed.

"Whatever..."_  
_

"You're not gonna tell me what's wrong, are you?"

"Not a chance." _Why won't they just tell me?_

"Fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sammy."_

* * *

_*Once again, I'm sorry this took so long to post. I'll be quicker next time.*


	13. Lazarus Rising

*I'm sure you guys can already guess what happens in this chapter...*  
**

* * *

13: Lazarus Rising**

Once I got used to living with Aunt Pamela, time just seemed to fly by me**. **She started teaching me about my powers a few days after I got settled in and unpacked, and once I fully understood the basics, we went out to almost everyday so that I could get some real experience. I spent so much of my time with her that I almost felt like I was part of a real family again... but then Dean died, and I started to feel out of place when I was with her. I wanted to ask Sam if I could go with him on the road, but after Dean's burial he stopped returning my calls. _I haven't heard from him in months... _Bobby wouldn't let me hunt with him either. He told me he didn't want to lose another son, so I stopped bothering him about it. My restlessness eventually got the better of me, and in the end I actually started working a few jobs with Aunt Pamela, despite her not actually being a hunter. In fact, that's how I plan to spend my day today...

"We're here!" Aunt Pamela shouted as she pulled into the driveway of her old friend's house. I stepped out of the car and looked around.

"Where exactly _is_ here?"_ I really wish she'd tell me where we were going ahead of time..._

"Le Mars, Iowa," Pamela said as she stood up and closed her car door. "My friend Karen just moved here, she says she's got a ghost problem."

"How many ghosts are we dealing with?"

"Just one. She already got us all the background information and everything. This should only take a few hours." I opened the trunk and grabbed my bag and hers. _Just hours?_

"If it won't take us very long why'd you tell me to bring four days worth of clothes?" She smiled and shook her head.

"Did you really think I'd plan a trip to my friend's house without giving myself enough time to socialize?" _Of course; I should have known as soon as she said it was a job for an old friend._

"Right. It wouldn't make sense to leave your friend so suddenly..." I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I set our bags down and grabbed my phone. "Hold on a minute, I'll be right in." She nodded and headed to the front door. _Maybe today will be the day Sam finally calls me back... _I checked the caller ID, but it wasn't a number I recognized. _Nah, it's probably someone with the wrong number..._ I sat down in the grass of Karen's yard and got comfortable before I answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Karter?" _I guess it's not a wrong number after all, but it's certainly not Sam either._

"Yup. May I ask who's calling?"

"Don't hang up… this is Dean." _Dean? No, Dean died. I was there when he was buried... but what if Sam brought him back? Or, more likely, what if it's not really him?  
_

"I won't hang up, because if this really is Dean Winchester, that would be rude. But, due to the graphic and questionable nature of our line of work, you understand why I can't immediately believe you, right?" _'Graphic and questionable nature?' God, I sound like one of those parental discretion advisory notices they play before movies...  
_

"Yeah, Karter. I get it. And I still don't know who – or what – got me out of the pit, but I'm back." _I guess Sam didn't do it. _"I'm headed to Bobby's now. Maybe if you came with me he'd believe me easier." _It sounds like a trap, but it's either that, or four days worth of doing nothing while Aunt Pamela has her little reunion . Given those options, my choice is obvious.  
_

"I'm really sorry Dean, but it's like I said before. I can't just trust you immediately." I hung up on him before he could speak again. _Now then…_ _I think I'll pay Bobby a visit; I'm in Iowa now, so Sioux Falls shouldn't be that far away.  
_

"Who was that?" I looked behind me to see Aunt Pamela and Karen standing in the doorway of the house. I stood up, brushing the dirt off of my jeans, and smiled casually.

"Aunt Pamela, would you mind if I went off on my own for a little while? My stuff is already packed. I'll get a ride back here before you leave, and I'll stay safe-ish." _Emphasis on the -ish. _She just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, go ahead. I can handle the ghost. If I leave before you get back you know where to find me." _I'm so glad she's lenient._

"Thanks!" I grabbed my duffel bag and took off for the road, headed in the direction of the highway.

* * *

_Okay, I've hitchhiked before, but then, I was lucky enough to see traffic. I haven't seen any cars since my last ride dropped me off in Beresford. What to do now... I could call AAA, or- wait, I see a car coming. I'll check the driver's mood out before I get my hopes up; s__ee if they're feeling good enough to help me out. _I focused on the approaching vehicle and read the driver's _emotions. They're really panicked. Something tragic and painful, lots of confusion... could be entertaining... _I put my hand out, thumb up in traditional hitchhiking fashion. The car stopped right in front of me._ Of course. _

"Karter!" _Just my luck... _It was Dean, or at least, it looked like Dean. _Very convincing, like those shape shifters back in Allentown._ _I can read its feelings, so it's not dead, which eliminates ghoul, revenant, and any other undead possibilities._

"Are you really Dean?" _It'll be easiest if I ask him right away because I just have to figure out whether or not he's lying…_

"Yeah. It's me. I'm still trying to find out how I got back." _He's not lying… it's Dean? He's really back!_

"Well, that's why you're headed to Bobby's isn't it?" Dean nodded.

"That, and I want to see Sammy. I'm sure Bobby knows where he is."

"Yeah... And by the way, I believe you. I know you're really Dean." A wave of relief seemed to hit Dean, and his face showed it well. "I don't think Bobby will be this easy to convince though." _If I know Bobby, he'll attack Dean... and probably attack again once he pretends to trust us..._

Dean and I talked our plan over; just go to him honestly, and not fight other than the almost-certainly necessary self-defense tactics. _It seems odd that neither of us has mentioned the past four months, or even asked about them, but I guess we'll get to that later._ _We're here anyway. _Dean pulled his stolen car over and exited. I got out, but I didn't follow him to the door. I decided to stay behind, barely out of sight.

Dean knocked on the door, seeming a bit apprehensive while doing so. Bobby opened the door cautiously, finding Dean smiling nervously.

"Surprise." Dean said softly.

"I, I don't…" Bobby seemed to be at a loss for words. _Whether he trusts that this is Dean or not, this is still the first time he's seen Dean in months, other than the photos that he's no doubt stared longingly at during one of his many recent drinking sessions._

"Yeah, me neither." Dean stepped into Bobby's house. "But here I am." I walked into the doorway, remaining unseen due to Bobby's focus being entirely on Dean. _Well, on Dean and whatever he's reaching for behind himself anyway. I hope Dean's ready to fight._

As Dean began approaching Bobby, probably for a hug, Bobby lunged forward, silver knife in hand. Acting quickly, Dean grabbed him and twisted his arm around, but Bobby broke away and backhanded him.

"Bobby! It's me!" Dean said as he stumbled backward and regained his balance.

"My ass!" _I knew Bobby would __need some more convincing.._. Bobby started forward again, stopping when Dean shoved a chair in-between them and took a low stance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!" Dean got Bobby's attention. "Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father. Bobby. It's me." Bobby lowered his knife as Dean stood up. _Should I step in, or just let this play out? _Bobby stepped forward slowly, pushing the chair out of the way. He put his hand on Dean's shoulder, and then proceeded to take another swing at him. _Typical._ Dean pulled Bobby's arm behind his back and took the knife from him. "I am not a shapeshifter!"

"Then you're a revenant!" Bobby shouted back. Dean shoved Bobby away and held his arm in front of him. _What's he up to now?_

"All right. If I was either, could I do this?" Dean grimaced as he cut himself just above the elbow with the silver knife, drawing a line of blood. _Eww... why couldn't he have warned me about this? _I stayed back where I was, but I focused my powers on making the pain in Dean's arm go away. _At least Bobby seems to believe him now…_

"Dean?" _Yup, he gets it._

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Bobby's warrior dissolve seemed to break, and he hugged Dean. _Aw_... They pulled apart, leaving Dean looking truly relieved. _Heartwarming, really._

"It's… it's good to see you, boy."

"Yeah, you too."

"But… how did you bust out?"

"I don't know." Dean looked around the room casually. "I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine bo-" Dean was interrupted by a splash of holy water from Bobby. Dean sighed and spit the water out. "I'm not a demon either, you know."

"Sorry. Can't be too careful." _Now that the fight's over I should let him know I'm here._

"He's got a point, Dean." Bobby turned his gaze to me. Dean smirked, and then looked back down at his arm.

"When'd you get here, Karter?"

"Dean gave me a ride here." Bobby raised his eyebrow.

"So, you and Dean already went through this once?"

"Nah. I just shut up and got in the car with him." I smiled, fully understanding how stupid that could have been. Bobby shook his head and sighed.

"You moron… I missed you."

"I've missed you too, and Aunt Pamela sends her regards." Bobby smiled, and then went back into the kitchen to get a towel for Dean. _Okay, now we've got Bobby with us. All we need for a full reunion is Sam. Wherever he is...

* * *

*_Reviews would be greatly appreciated* :D_  
_


	14. On The Road Again

*It's been a while, so... yeah. Read and enjoy.***  


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14: On The Road Again  
**

"But that don't make a lick of sense." Bobby said as he walked further into his house, followed closely by me and Dean.

"Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir." Dean raised the towel around his neck to pat his face dry again. I leaned back against the doorway, crossing my arms casually.

"Dean, your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit-"

"I know. I should look like a 'Thriller' video reject."

"What do you remember, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked, knowing that Bobby had wanted to ask the same question.

"Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out," Dean said, toying with his phone. _He's lying, t__here's something terrible in his head, he just doesn't want to think about it right now._"Then I come-to six feet under, that was it." Bobby took a seat, still looking at Dean. "Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not..." _I know where he's going with that, and I'm surprised that he didn't ask sooner._

"Oh, he's alive," Bobby answered, "as far as I know."

"Good." Dean looked relieved, but only for a short time. "Wait, what do you mean "as far as you know?" The calm left his face almost immediately.

"I haven't talked to him for months."

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?"

"He was dead set on it." Bobby said as he got out of his chair and crossed the room.

"Bobby, you should have been looking after him." Bobby looked offended after that comment.

"I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him or me." Bobby paused. "We had to bury you." Dean sighed and furrowed his brow.

"Why did you bury me, anyway?"

"I wanted you salted and burned, usual drill. But… Sam and Karter wouldn't have it." Dean looked back at me, causing me to smile.

"Well, I'm glad they won that one," Dean said with a smirk, lightening the mood a little. _I had my reasons..._

"Sam said you'd need a body when he found a way to bring you back, and I thought that that was a pretty good idea. That's about all that was said on that matter though," I added.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked. _Sam just didn't want to talk to me anymore_. _Scratch that; Sam just didn't want to talk to _anyone_ anymore._

"I talked to him about how to bring you back, but he was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. He wouldn't return my calls." _He won't return anyone's calls…_

"I tried to find him," Bobby added in, "but he didn't want to be found."

"Damnit Sammy." Dean muttered, starting to pace.

"What?"

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo." _Something went _

_wrong?_

"What makes you so sure?" I asked, hoping that the answer wasn't too bad. _Though, knowing our profession, there's no way that could possibly happen. The good guys never catch a break._

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off… And then there was this… this force, this presence, I don't know, but it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this." Dean took off his jacket and pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a brand, which appeared to be hand-print shaped." _Okay, that's by far the strangest thing I've seen in months; wow, my life has really slowed down since I started living with Aunt Pamela. _

Bobby stood up, astonished. "What in the hell?"

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out." _Frightening thought either way, really._

"But why?" This time, it was Bobby asking the questions.

"To hold up their end of the bargain." Bobby raised an eyebrow.

"You think Sam made a deal." Dean nodded at him.

"It's what I would have done."

* * *

After Dean skillfully activated the GPS on Sam's cellphone, we found his hotel room in Pontiac, Illinois, and headed out from Bobby's house immediately. The three of us piled into Bobby's truck and drove for a few hours until Bobby needed a bathroom. We found a rest stop, and Bobby went straight in. Neither Dean nor I had to go, so we stayed near the truck, only getting out to stretch our legs.

"So, how's the whole 'empathy' thing going? Hopefully it's better than it was last time I saw you." _It's safe to say I haven't killed anyone or blown any buildings up lately. Or course, I haven't really done much of anything lately other than practice so that that doesn't happen again._ "Did you get everything figured out?"

"Yeah. I have total control unless I'm near-death, and finding that out was really unpleasant. But anyway, I can identify, feel, suppress, and/or take emotions within about 25 yards, and not just emotions, but feelings too. That applies to things like arousal, exhaustion, and pain. I understand everything about it now." _I can't create emotions in people though... that would take more power than I can muster._

"Impressive," Dean said with a grin.

"Thanks, but it does have drawbacks." _With great power comes great responsibility, lol._

"Like what?"

"Well, for a while, I was using my powers like drugs." Dean raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "To always be happy, and to feel as good as one does when in love. That's what I was drawing on constantly. I was obsessed with it. "

"You don't seem unnaturally happy now, what'd you do?"

"I knew I was out of control, so I got myself thrown in juvenile hall." His other eyebrow shot right up. "I was only in for a little while, but it was enough time away from real happiness that I could detox. Unfortunately, my body had grown used to leeching happiness, and was unable to create my own for a while. Eventually, it spread to every emotion. I'm okay now though. I mean, I'm a bit of an apathetic blob sometimes, but for what it's worth, I've been worse off than this before."

"At least you're under control now.…" Dean looked around at the other people at the rest stop. "Hey, do any of them have the hots for me?" _I wondered how long it would take for him to start his old habits again..._

"Unexpected question, but yes…"_one, two,_ "three of them. Why?"

"I've been out of the game for four months, dude. It's time to get back in the game. And on top of that, I came back with no scars, no bruises, no off-angled fingers…"

"I know where you're going with this, Dean. You think you've been re-Hymenated, don't you?"

"Yup. And I don't wanna be a virgin forever," he said with a laugh. _How did I not see this coming? He already had beer, now all he needs is sex. And Sam. But not together… right? Oh God, disturbing mental images._

"Two of them seem to be in love currently, so their gonna be out-of-bounds. Only one seems single." Dean smirked and rubbed his hands together.

"That's all I need. Where are they?" _Just a sec..._

"Judging from the feeling, it's that trucker over there." I pointed to a rather large man in a brown jacket. Dean looked away quickly, frowning and pretending to gag. The man smiled and waved, and I waved back. I chuckled a little at Dean's disappointment. "He totally wants you, Dean. And me too... probably at the same time. Creepy… too bad for him, I'm not interested. I don't think you are either, judging from all the disgust in your head.

"I don't think it takes a psychic to figure that one out. The guy's like Jabba the Hut in a trucker cap." I laughed at Dean's reference, reminding me of just how much I had really missed him. "But it's amazing how good you've gotten at that. You can sense their feelings so easily."

"It really does come in handy. And about your… dilemma; you should survive for a few more days without it before becoming irritable and anxious… and if you ever get to a point where you become desperate for relief, I'll help you in any way I can, though I can't imagine you having trouble finding relief." Dean just stared at me, eyes focused intently.

"Was that offer for what I think it was for?" _This could be amusing..._

"I'm no mind-reader, but I think you may be right." I smiled and turned away from Dean. _I just love screwing with people. Plus that should distract him from that pain and fear in the back of his head for a few minutes._ I cracked my neck, and found Bobby coming back to us in the process. "There you are Bobby! Let's get going." Bobby walked down the seemingly new-ish sidewalk path to the truck and got in. Dean and I sat down in the same seats that we had just been confined to so recently, getting as comfortably positioned as we could before taking off. _I didn't upset Dean too bad with that offer, but he doesn't seem to be too sure about whether or not I was serious. I don't expect him to act on it after what happened last time but at least he's not offended or anything.

* * *

_*I used the transcripts to help keep this original storyline parts accurate, obviously the rest had to be made up. Review if you feel like it, I can't force you to. But please do :D*


	15. Not Guilty

**15: Not Guilty**

We found Sam's hotel fairly late and the clerk was kind enough to show us which room was his. Dean and Bobby were in the front of our group, I hung behind, deciding that I wasn't as important for this part of their reunion as they were. The door opened after a few knocks, revealing a hot girl in a gray tank top and not much else.

"So where is it?" She asked impatiently, staring us down. Dean looked at Bobby, seeming just as confused as he was.

"Where's what?" he asked.

"The pizza... that takes three guys to deliver?"

"Uh, I think we got the wrong room." I said apologetically, beginning to turn around. _Wait…_

"Hey, is..." Sam stopped dead when he saw Dean. He swallowed hard, shocked, his eyes flicking between Dean and Bobby. _There he is._

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said quietly, voice cracking from emotional overload. Sam stayed silent, staring in disbelief. Dean stepped into the room, ignoring the woman at the door, who stepped aside to let him in. Once he got closer Sam pulled a knife and lunged at him. The woman screamed. Dean blocked Sam's attack. Bobby pulled Sam off, gripping him around the shoulders. Sam struggled to get loose, furious at the thought of something impersonating his brother.

"Who are you?" Sam shouted, still trying to get free.

"Like you didn't do this?" Dean answered back.

"Do what?"

"It's him," Bobby asserted. "It's him. I've been through this already; it's really him. Sam just stared at Dean, slowly letting the struggle out of his body.

"What..."

"I know. I look fantastic, huh?" Dean said as he cautiously advanced. Bobby let go of Sam, who looked like he was on the verge of tears as he stepped forward and pulled Dean into a desperate hug. They embraced for several seconds, heavy with emotion. _I'm not about to cry, but this may be the most beautiful chick-flick-reunion moment I've ever seen… _Sam pushed Dean back to arm's length. I looked behind me, finding the hot young woman very confused.

"So, are you two like… together?" She asked, earning a shocked look from Bobby.

"Actually miss, they're brothers," I commented, noting how – once again – someone mistook those two for a couple. Sam, who hadn't noticed me before, smiled warmly at me.

"Uh... got it. I... I guess. Look, I should probably go." She said as she grabbed her jacket and left, discouraged even further by Sam calling her by the wrong name as she walked out the door.

"So tell me, what'd it cost?" Dean asked, a serious expression taking over his face.

"The girl? I don't pay, Dean." Sam laughed and shook his head.

"That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?" Sam stopped smiling.

"You think I made a deal?"

"That's exactly what he thinks," I added, making sure that I didn't say that that was what I thought. _I'm still not sure enough to make an accusation like that yet._

"Well, I didn't," he said defensively.

"Don't lie to me!" Dean said assertively.

"I'm not lying," Sam replied, beginning to lose his temper. Dean stood up, gradually stepping toward Sam.

"So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this."

"Look Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?" Dean grabbed Sam by the front of his shirt.

"There's no other way this could've gone down. Now tell the truth!"

"He is!" Everyone turned to me, apparently so caught up in the argument that they had forgotten that I was even there. "I know it. I can tell."

"I tried everything," Sam said as he moved Dean's hands from his shirt. "That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry." Dean relented.

"It's ok Sammy, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong," Bobby started, "I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question."

"If he didn't pull me out…" _Then what did?_

* * *

*Short chapter, sorry. Still following the transcripts for now, I'll be off book in another chapter or two.*


	16. No Peeking

*Now then, anyone who's seen this episode knows what has to happen to Pamela. If not, spoiler time!*

* * *

**16: No Peeking**

Knowing very well that we knew nothing at all about what brought Dean back, Bobby suggested we hit the books. Four hours with no results convinced me that maybe we should be looking for whatever this is a different way. I dropped the old tome I'd been browsing and sent a text to Aunt Pamela.

"You ain't gonna get much research done if your book's closed," Bobby said from across the room, noticing me slack through his peripheral vision.

"Not slacking. Phoning a friend," I replied dully.

-Hey, would you mind helping us out with something? Dean got dragged out of Hell and we can't figure out what did it.- I waited for her reply, tapping my fingers against the table anxiously. Sam passed me an annoyed glare so I stopped and awkwardly looked away like I'd done nothing wrong.

-Well that's certainly one I've never heard before, lol. Come on over, I'll see what I can do.- _I knew she couldn't resist such a unique case. That, and she'd do anything for me._

-Thanks, Me and Bobby will be over with the Winchesters as soon as you get back from that ghost case.-

-Head out tomorrow, I'll be home before you get there. Love you 3- _Perfect timing on her part... wonder if she saw this coming? _I set my phone down on the table and took a long drink of the water I'd poured before I started my current book.

"Aunt Pamela said she'll help us figure out what brought Dean back," I stated in relief, getting up to put my book back on the shelf.

"Just because we have a psychic helping us doesn't mean these books don't have an answer in them," Sam said. "We should keep looking until for a while."

"Or we could call it a night," I suggested as I focused on Sam and Bobby's minds, attempting to carefully dull feelings other than fatigue so they would get tired without getting suspicious of me. _I'd get Dean tired too, but I don't think he'll object to stopping for the night._ I sat back down with my book, reading diligently for about ten minutes before Bobby nodded off and Sam suggested we get some sleep. Dean agreed and suggested that we head out around noon tomorrow, get a hotel near the Iowa/Illinois border, and get to Aunt Pamela's around 4 pm the day after.

* * *

"I'm home," I said as I stepped out of the Impala and onto Aunt Pamela's yard. _I can grab some of my stuff to take with me on the road while I'm here, so this works out really well. _I walked ahead and knocked on the door. She opened it, smiling and ready to hug.

"Karter!" She exclaimed and picked me up in a lifting hug. Bobby stepped onto the porch next, recieving the same lift-hug from a very excited Pamela. Sam and Dean watched her lift him and exchanged unsure glances. She set him down and looked Sam and Dean up and down approvingly. "So, these the boys?" She asked me with a sly smile.

"Sam, Dean, this is my aunt: Pamela Barnes, best psychic in the state. She'll help us figure out what we're up against.

"Hey," Dean said flirtatiously. _Of course he's going to hit on her... _

"Hi," Sam said a bit awkwardly. _He's into her too... damn. Knowing her, at least one of them has a good chance of getting laid while we're here, and that's gonna make things really awkward for me..._

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," Pamela commented.

"If you say so."

"Come on in guys," I said, hoping to interrupt any kind of moment they were having by bringing them inside. I led them to the living room to wait for Pamela to set up.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked from a reclining chair near the TV.

"Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why."

"You're gonna do a séance, right?" Pamela nodded, and I took that as a cue to help her set up. I walked into her kitchen to grab some candles and herbs that we would need for this ritual.

"You're not gonna summon the damn thing here are you?" Bobby asked, sounding a bit woried. I grabbed one more candle from a low cabinet and a nice black cloth from the closet to set up the diding room table. Sam looked at the cloth warily, noting all the symbols which covered it.

"It's a blanket, Sam. It's not gonna bite." Sam laughed quietly and looked around, taking in the elegant-yet-occult decorations throughout the house. He walked next to Dean to join him in staring at Pamela's ass as she grabbed a lighter from another cabinet. _Of course..._

Bobby took a seat next to me, and soon Sam, Pamela, and Dean walked in, each taking a seat around the circular table. Six lighed tables in the center of the table flickered as we took each other's hands in preparation for Pamela's spell. She snuck her hand under the table to touch Dean's inner thigh before placing her palm on the handprint-shaped brand on Dean's shoulder. We all closed our eyes as she began;

"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle." The TV in the living room turned itself on, drawing our attention tot he static screen. "I invoke, conjure, and command... Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy." _Castiel?_

"Castiel?"

"Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back." _Now that it's told her to turn back there's no way she'll stop now..._ She resumed her chanting, even as the table began to shake and the static noise grew louder. "I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face."

"Maybe we should stop," Bobby suggested as the noise and shaking grew even more violent. _I've got a really bad feeling about this..._

"I know you're stubborn, but please just let this one go!" I shouted over the static noise and teh radio which had also turned itself on. Pamela laughed and ignored our pleas.

"I almost got it!" She disregarded us and kept going. "I command you, show me your face!" _This won't end well. _"Show me your face now!"

Suddenly the candles flared up three or four feet into the air and Pamela began to scream. _What the fuck? _Her eyes flew open, white-hot flames bursing forth.

"Oh my god!" I screamed, rushing to help her as she collapsed onto the ground, her tears seared into her skin. "Call 911! NOW!" Sam scrambled out of his chair and into the next room. Dean crouched over me and Pamela , looking worriedly at us, then at Bobby, then back to Pamela. She tried to open her eyes, revealing empty, charred sockets. _Oh god! Her eyes..._

"I can't see! I can't see! Oh god!" I heard Sam in the next room calling for an ambulance as I did my best to dull her pain. She passed out in my arms, still shaking.

* * *

*Next chapter doesn't use transcipts at all. Yay, original material! And like I've said before, review is appreciated but not mandatory.*


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